Step inside Hunt Slonem’s world and you’ll find yourself surrounded by an explosion of color, swirling pattern and an array of exotic birds chirping in the background. The neo-expressionist artist, internationally renowned for his vibrant depictions of bunnies, butterflies and tropical birds, will be in Austin for a show April 27-May 26.
Art and nature have long been intertwined in Hunt’s world, a relationship that can be traced back to his childhood. His love for birds, in particular, has been a defining theme in his life and work, and he shares a studio with several. “I have mostly parrots,” he says. “A blue Lutino Indian ringneck, a king parrot named Tut Tut, an African Grey, a double yellow head named Airy that I’ve had for about 45 years and a green-wing macaw named Arcol. And then there’s Tommy Hawk, my hawk-head parrot—he’s very rare and absolutely stunning.”
Slonem’s fascination with birds took flight in 1968 when he was an exchange student in Nicaragua. His first pet was a toucan, a fitting introduction to the creatures that would later become central to his work. While birds may have been his first muse, Hunt’s also widely recognized for his whimsical bunnies that came later. “I actually started with painting saints,” he explains. “There’s a big painting of mine in St. Patrick’s Cathedral of St. Martin de Porres, surrounded by cats, dogs, and rabbits as offerings. Those were the first bunnies I ever painted, and I just kept going.” Butterflies are another of Hunt’s regular motifs. “For me, they represent metamorphosis and transition,” he says. “A butterfly starts as a worm, enters a cocoon, and emerges as something completely different, beautiful, and free.”
Much like a spiritual mantra, Slonem’s practice of painting similar images over and over is an act of devotion. The repetition, he says, reflects the patterns found in nature, where nothing is ever exactly the same, yet everything comes together in perfect balance. Beyond his canvases, Slonem’s artistic vision extends to historic homes. For more than two decades, he has been acquiring and restoring grand, forgotten estates, turning them into immersive art experiences. His first purchase was the Cordts Mansion, a Second Empire home in Kingston, New York. “That was how it all began,” he recalls. “I owned it for 22 years.” Today, his collection includes multiple sprawling estates, each curated with his artwork, antique furnishings and bursts color.
Hunt’s work has been exhibited worldwide, with pieces housed in prestigious collections including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney, and the New Orleans Museum of Art. Though his influence spans the globe, he says he’s been to Austin ‘tons’ of time. When in town, he enjoys antiquing, a fitting pastime for an artist who treasures the beauty of the past.
But, he shares the accomplishment he’s most proud of is “the fact that I have the materials to do what I want to do and that I'm able to paint every day.” And, his biggest joy comes from “working, painting, and going to church,” where you can find him most days that he’s at home in New York at 5:30pm Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Asked what he’d like his legacy to be he says, “ To bring joy to the world. That’s my goal, to bring people joy - to take them out of the banal state we’re in and go deeper into the beautiful transitions of mankind.”
Follow Hunt Slonem at @huntslonem