Hunt Slonem was born in 1951 in Kittery, York County Maine. He is a renowned American painter, sculptor, and printmaker. Slonem is best known for his abstract depictions of animals, specifically Birds, Butterflies, and Bunnies.  His whimsicality has captured the hearts of many across the globe, enchanting us all with a phenomenal power to elevate and inspire effortlessly. His works can best be described as monumental and uplifting as these forces certainly are the cornerstones of his inspiration. His pieces draw upon a spiritual connection celebrating nature, animals, and history. This bond stems from a love of exotic birds, as he has over 90 of them in his studio, painting them from life almost every day.  His travels around the world since a young age has brought much passion for landscapes, as his father was in the Navy, living in Hawaii, Nicaragua to Mexico.  And lastly, his unique joy in preserving historic homes has brought him to collect over 8 historic properties in the US, realizing too many of the country’s architectural gems have fallen into disrepair, bringing them back to their original beauty while decorating them with genuine antiques and his own creations.

Hunt possesses a unique gift, a gift that stretches far beyond his creations in art. Stepping inside his studio is an experience to behold. It is like stepping into a magical world, where you feel anything is possible; similar to the feelings you get when gazing at one of his enchanting paintings. The music of birds echoes and creates the soundtrack while enjoying other treasures placed perfectly in the design of his studio. You can find a family of harps positioned in a centered arrangement, a forest of tropical plants in another, objects and vases situated and resituated, as Slonem is inspired by the decorations arranged almost daily with-in this seemingly endless stretch of space. And that’s not all, there is a collection of antique top hats rested on top of a 19th Century French table, a dining table set with gorgeous china wear ready for a dinner party at any moment, marble inlaid tables and busts, Gothic furniture with his own fabric designs, and his incredible birds that have the freedom to fly where they desire.

These collections surely fuel his creativity as Slonem finds that collecting gives an exciting element to his artistic process, as placing objects and arranging the rooms with in his studio acts as a cathartic experience. Most of his paintings are housed in a wonderful antique frame that is sourced from all around the world, some of which date back to the Rococo period as far as the 17th Century. His pieces exhibit a true ethereal quality, which is no wonder why they go together so effortlessly. And this is just a small glimpse into the phenomenal reality of this prolific artist's studio.

Recently Slonem has been shown at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art and the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. In 2017 and 2018, he will be featured by the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the National Gallery in Bulgaria, and Slonem’s works can be found in the permanent collections of 250 museums around the world, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Whitney, the Miro Foundation and the New Orleans Museum of Art.