Hunt Slonem
American, 1951-Present
Hunt Slonem is a celebrated American painter, sculptor, and printmaker known for his neo-expressionist style and vibrant depictions of birds, butterflies, and rabbits. Raised in a peripatetic Navy household, Slonem’s early exposure to diverse natural environments, particularly in Hawaii and California, inspired his enduring fascination with exotic wildlife. He studied painting and art history at Tulane University and continued his training at the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture.
Slonem’s signature approach combines vivid color, textured brushwork, and rhythmic repetition, often layering grids or crosshatching over representational imagery to create a sense of movement. His compositions draw from both the natural world and formal abstraction, placing him at the intersection of post-cubist experimentation and contemporary pattern-based painting. Despite the apparent whimsy of his motifs, his work reflects a disciplined exploration of form.
With more than 250 museum acquisitions worldwide, including the Guggenheim, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, Slonem’s work holds enduring appeal for collectors and institutions alike. His focused use of recurring subjects, especially his beloved rabbits, creates a sense of visual continuity that is both engaging and richly layered, making each work part of a larger conversation on nature and repetition.