We were lucky to catch up with Michael O’Khaen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Michael, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

When I quit my day job to fully embrace a public artist career, I made the choice of a difficult, but highly meaningful life project.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a French-born visual artist, specialized in creating public artworks and site-specific sculptures.

Born from my lifelong love for the wilderness is the need to express my relationship with nature through art. In my younger years, I would often pick up a piece of wood and start carving it with a knife, a simple way to materialize my encounters with wildlife. As time passed, I began collecting materials from nature, constructing more complex structures meant to be shared with others. The connection between my creations and the people was profoundly fulfilling, eventually becoming the driving force of my life.

At the turn of the millennium, I choose to pursue formal artistic studies alongside my scientific education. Armed with a PhD and academic experience, I easily could have settled into a comfortable role as a university professor. However, my belief has always been that culture should be accessible to everyone, so I set out to create art in public spaces. This led me to participate in sculpture symposiums, art festivals, and artist residencies, which provided invaluable opportunities to collaborate with esteemed figures in the realm of environmental art and land artists across Europe.

A significant shift occurred in my career when I moved to the United States. To support my family, I took on a managerial role at a school, which, although necessary, left me with limited time for creative pursuits. As a result, I was confined to producing small-scale artworks within my apartment’s, while my big ideas for public art projects filled my sketchbooks. A few months ago, I left my day job behind to wholeheartedly focus on rebuilding my artistic career in Florida.

Now, I create designs encouraging people to think about ecological issues without the guilt-factor. My studio is based in Miami, but I work for public projects on a national scale. I answer to requests from building planners, architects, municipalities, but also from private contractors looking for monumental sculptures.

My work stands out mostly because I use wood in all my projects. While this material is a popular choice for small-scale art and indoor objects, its usage in permanent outdoor installations is somewhat limited. Nevertheless, I hold a strong conviction that this sustainable, versatile and natural material should play a more prominent role in the realm of public art. Especially in our current age of environmental consciousness.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

A piece of art can change a life. I have seen it multiple times, and I think more people should be able to experience it. That is why I chose public art as a career, but also as a purpose.
Being moved or questioned by a sculpture in the street is an amazing thing, and should be encouraged by leaders.
If you don’t have a public art program in your town, ask for it!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to bring creativity to the public space, and to trigger positive thinking about ecological challenges. I wish that my artistic work becomes a way to better understanding the diversity of cultures and their interdependence with nature.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://okhaen.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/okhaen/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.okhaen/