Shea Hembrey is an interdisciplinary artist known for concept-driven projects that merge research, craftsmanship, and ecological awareness. His recent work directly addresses environmental issues, such as his ongoing landscape painting project that culminates in the restoration and planting of native songbird habitats. Hembrey approaches each project with a singular conceptual focus, allowing ideas to dictate his choice of methods and media—ranging from painting and sculpture to installation and performance. Deep research underpins his practice, alongside a commitment to continually expanding his technical skills.

He holds an M.F.A. from Cornell University and studied art for nine years, including a formative year in New Zealand studying Māori art traditions. In 2015, Hembrey was an artist-in-residence at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, where he continued exploring the intersections of art and environment within a site-responsive context.

Hembrey’s work and approach have been featured in The New York Times Magazine, NPR, PBS, and in his widely viewed TED Talk, where he introduced the fictional 2011 SEEK exhibition featuring 100 distinct artists—all invented and executed by Hembrey himself.