About the Artist
Steven Kean
Contemporary Printmaker / Surf Artist | North Shore of Oahu, HI
A Pennsylvania native residing on the North Shore of Oahu since 2008, Steven Kean is an artist working primarily in the woodcut method of relief printmaking. His work is driven by a passion for the process and a love of the ocean.
Kean's work has been showcased internationally, here in the islands, and throughout the continental United States. In July of 2026, Kean traveled with a group of Hawaii-based artists from Waveline Collective to exhibit work in Chiba and Kamakura, Japan. Earlier in the year (Feb '26), Kean's artwork was invited to the 2026 Punahou Art Gallery Exhibition, the largest indoor group show in the Hawaiian Islands. He has been a participant in the Haleiwa Arts Festival for the past 9 years. In January of 2024, he had his 6th solo exhibition ('Playing with Sand') showcasing his newest collection of woodcut prints. That same year, Kean was invited into a group show celebrating today's surf culture, 'The Swell is Coming' at Ho'ikeakea Gallery, where he exhibited his carved woodblocks for the first time amongst contemporary ocean-minded artists.
Kean has been involved in several notable commissioned projects over the years. Most recently, with Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam for the 2026 Ohana Festival in Dana Point, CA. Steven was honored to be selected for Olukai's Hawaii Artists Series, where his work was implemented in the design elements of premium leather sandals. He has also worked on various projects with companies such as Kahala Aloha Shirts, Google, Starbucks, Foodland Hawaii, Vans, and Hawaii Tourism Japan. His work is on permanent display in various locations around the Hawaiian Islands, including Four Seasons Resort Ko Olina, Number 7 Sushi, and Maya's Tapas and Wine. Kean was honored to be the featured artist of the 2016 and 2023 Haleiwa Arts Festival, and in 2024, he had two works accepted into the 96th Annual Honolulu Printmakers Exhibition, a curated exhibition of printmakers working in the Hawaiian Islands. His work is installed in several hotels and resorts throughout Hawaii and in Nassau, Bahamas.
When not surfing or immersed in his art, Steven teaches art to the youth of Hawai‘i, sharing his passion for creativity with the next generation. He has been on the Teaching Artist Roster with the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts since 2018.
Kean feels incredibly grateful to call Hawaii home, where the ocean and the islands' natural beauty continue to inspire his work and remind him of how fortunate he is to live and create in such a special place.