Slonem is an American painter renowned for his vibrant, emotive works, which often feature bold patterns, rich colors, and a recurring focus on animals, particularly butterflies, birds, and rabbits. He studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York and later at Tulane University in New Orleans, where his artistic voice began to take shape.
Known for his energetic and expressive brushwork, Slonem is best known for his depictions of animals, rendered in a distinct, almost abstract style that blends representational imagery with bold, geometric forms. His works frequently feature repeating motifs, such as rows of butterflies or birds, that evoke a sense of rhythm and pattern. This repetition is not just a stylistic choice but also a spiritual one, as the subjects often symbolize concepts like transformation, freedom, and the beauty of life.
This work by Hunt Slonem is both engaging and sophisticated, with a calm softness that creates a beautifully tonal surface in shades of blue grey. Ten butterflies hover in quiet symmetry across the canvas, each suspended in its own space, yet part of a shared rhythm. Slonem’s wet-on-wet technique emphasizes the painting’s tactile, impasto quality, allowing the paint to remain loose and gestural. Layered over the composition is his signature crosshatched pattern, a lattice of scratched or drawn lines that evokes the feeling of looking through a textured screen. This motif, inspired by a moment in his studio upon returning from India, where, surrounded by his exotic birds, he realized the visual power of viewing them through their wire cages, adds a sense of enclosure and distance. The result is a meditative interplay of repetition, structure, and delicacy. We consider this a particularly fine example of Slonem’s butterfly compositions.