Hunt Slonem Art

Who is Hunt Slonem?

Hunt Slonem is a contemporary American artist has garnered global acclaim for his painted depictions of butterflies, tropical birds, and breathtaking large-scale sculptures. The famous artist is incredibly vocal about his love for nature, stating his inspiration comes his 60 pet birds and the beauty of nature, which adds a peaceful effect to his works.

Born in 1951 in Kittery, Maine, Slonem was raised in a Navy family. Spending a lot of his time traveling, Hunt explored many different cultures, taking inspiration, and beginning to shape his artistic vision. 

Throughout his career, Hunt Slonem has painted in a distinct style. Painting simple forms against flat spaces of color Hunt Slonem allow his subjects to contrast quite starkly against the picture plane. The soft color palette, combined with textural brushstrokes, results in tranquil, beautiful works of art. These brushstrokes, reminiscent of the German Expressionism movement and artists such as Ernst Ludwig, reflect the influence of Henry Geldzahler, who was Hunt Slonem's longtime mentor.

With works showcased in the permanent collections of 250 museums worldwide, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, artist Hunt Slonem is continuing to leave a permanent mark in contemporary art. Since the beginning of his career, Slonem has received several prestigious grants, including from Montreal’s Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Cultural Counsel Foundation’s Artist Project, for which he painted an 80-foot mural of the World Trade Center in the late 1970s.