Hunt Slonem

Hunt Slonem studied painting at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tulane University in 1973. Slonem, widely known for his paintings of birds and butterflies, developed a fascination with these exotic figures during both childhood trips to Hawaii and time spent in Managua, Nicaragua as a foreign exchange student. Slonem uses butterflies to represent his vision of hope and transformation, seeing them as flashes of the ephemeral made real in textured paint. Reflections is part of an ongoing series on butterflies which draws upon the artist’s observation and admiration of their splendor. Slonem’s expressionist style, which incorporates rich colors and high energy, is widely recognized for its ethereal beauty.

Slonem has lived and worked in New York City in his legendary loft since 1973 with 70 pet birds. So enmeshed and unique are his aviary, studio, lifestyle, and painting, that Slonem has been featured on television and in print numerous times. Slonem has had more that 250 exhibitions at prestigious galleries around the world and his work is exhibited globally. Slonem’s creations are part of the permanent collections of over 80 museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, all in New York.