Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Winn.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Born and raised in Southern California, I relocated to Atlanta during the COVID-19 pandemic shortly after earning my MFA from the University of the Arts London. My creative passions ranging from fine art and digital design to editing and content creation—compelled me to make the move after only a handful of visits. I was drawn to the city’s energy: the historic brick warehouse buildings downtown, the abundance of intimate galleries with a genuine sense of community, and the vibrant murals adorning both old and new structures.
As a fine artist, my work explores themes of selfhood, mental health, and the complex dynamics of interpersonal relationships. My paintings, which often blend realism with ethereality, serve as visual meditations on anxiety, depression, and identity. These works reflect a metaphysical connection to those around me; peers who mirror aspects of my own inner world.
Influenced by pop culture, the mental health awareness movement, and extraterrestrial symbolism, I use the human figure to bridge the surreal and the mundane. This contrast invites viewers to engage with emotions that have long been stigmatized, amplifying what was once taboo.
Working primarily in acrylic and oil, I am currently experimenting with light, space, and metaphorical objects to expand my visual language. My portraiture frequently evokes both the iconic and the uncanny rendering a melancholic world that reflects not only my personal experiences with mental health but also the struggles of those I hold close.
There has been a cultural shift toward openness and vulnerability; an awakening around issues like anxiety, depression, and the importance of seeking help. Through my practice, I aim to contribute to that dialogue, encouraging self-awareness and emotional expression through each series of work.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I believe that no one’s journey is ever a smooth road, but for creatives in Black and POC communities, the path can feel especially uphill. Gaining access to the right spaces, growing as an artist, and navigating higher education often come with additional challenges. There’s a constant pressure to prove yourself, often without the time, support, or emotional space to process what that really takes.
For me, the hardest battles have always been internal. But creating, whether it’s painting, drawing, or crafting, has always helped. So has advocating for mental health: seeking therapy, building community, and finding chosen family. Those are the things that carry me through the hard times.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Sean Anthony Winn is a fine artist whose work questions ideas of self, mental health, and the exploration of relationships with others through those around us. These at once realistic and ethereal paintings communicate variation of self-expression traversing anxiety, depression, and identity. Through Winn’s gaze towards his fellow peers and the connection he shares with them on a metaphysical level. Influenced by pop-culture, the mental health awareness movement, and extra-terrestrial motifs, Winn contrasts the absolute with the surreal and the overly mundane through the human figure to amplify the once taboo human emotion.
Working in mediums such as acrylic and oil, Winn is experimenting with techniques and materials such as light, space, and metaphorical objects in his latest work. Winn often evokes the iconic and the eerie within his portraiture work.
The melancholy world’s that he creates confront the battles of mental health in his own personal life, but also in the lives of those he surrounds himself with. There has been a generational awakening in society’s openness surrounding anxiety and depression and normalizing talking about our feelings and seeking professional help. Winn’s goal is to further fuel those conversations and enhance self-awareness through various series of work.
I’m most proud of my journey toward self-discovery and identity through the power of creativity. The worlds I imagine and create not only bring my inner visions to life, but also offer a space for personal reflection; on my life choices, mental health, and the ongoing process of growth. While I don’t claim there’s one thing that sets me apart from other artists, my work is driven by a desire to keep the viewer asking questions, just as I do about everyday life. It’s less about finding definitive answers and more about exploring the “why” because that’s the question that continually shapes our human experience, everything whether small or big has a convoluted story behind it.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was always in touch with my creativity, though I didn’t fully embrace it until college; when I was exploring majors and trying to align my studies with the future I envisioned. Outgoing and friendly on the surface, I was also deeply introverted, often craving time alone to recharge and reflect. Making friends came naturally, especially through sports, which were a major part of my life from childhood through my late teens. My West Coast upbringing gave me a laid-back perspective, but I was consistently drawn to the energy of major cities and the creative cultures within them. From art and fashion to music, photography, and film, I found inspiration across all these disciplines. That blend of influence now shapes my work, rooted in fine art, yet informed by the broader creative world.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanwinn4595/
Image Credits
Xavier Thompson – Moody Portrait
Sean Anthony Winn – Studio Portrait and artwork
