Hunt Slonem Discusses His Personal Icons & Latest Dan's Cover

With a major show of his paintings and sculpture opening at Contessa Gallery, run by owner Steve Hartman and owner/founder Contessa Tscherne in Southampton (9 Main Street), this week’s cover artist Hunt Slonem discusses his inimitable style, the artist’s instantly recognizable personal iconography and why he chooses to focus on the creatures that populate his striking works.

The exhibition, Bunnies, Birds and Beyond: The Hunt Slonem Experience, will be on view through Sept. 9 with multiple opening receptions, including Friday, Aug. 15 from 5–8 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 16 from 5–8 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn more at contessagallery.com

A Conversation with Hunt Slonem

Tell me about this cover painting, what was the inspiration and how was it made?

This painting was inspired by my aviary, which has long been central to my work. Birds captivate me, their colors, vitality, and the sense of freedom. I also incorporated repeated monkey eyes from my “Guardian” series. That repetition, almost like a mantra, carries a protective and spiritual presence.

The process is very immediate for me. I work wet into wet, layering thick oil with brushes to build a surface that breathes. On a large scale, it becomes meditative — almost like prayer.

With this in mind, you have a very recognizable personal iconography, which often includes tropical birds, such as these parrots, as well as butterflies and rabbits. Why these particular creatures?

My iconography really developed over time. It came naturally through life and imagination. Birds have always been part of my daily world. I live with them, I paint them, they reflect spirits for me.

Butterflies feel ancient. They carry a sense of fragility and transformation. And the bunnies, well, I was born under the sign of the rabbit. I started painting them in the 1970s, and they never left me.

These creatures became my language. Birds, butterflies, rabbits — they’re my prayers. They are symbols. I paint them over and over like a mantra. They’re whimsical, yes, but they’re also deeply meaningful. They’re part of my rhythm on canvas.

Along with repetition of images across the body of work, your paintings also feature repetition within them — with multiple birds or bunnies or butterflies in each individual composition. Can you talk about that choice?

Yes. Repetition is a sacred act for me. It’s not a shortcut, it’s devotion. Just like saying a rosary or chanting a name over and over, it becomes a kind of prayer.

Repeating these images on canvas — birds, bunnies, butterflies — it’s my way of honoring them. It creates rhythm. Energy. A spiritual presence. That’s where the magic lives for me.

You also do individual bunnies and bunny sculptures. Can you talk about these in conjunction with the wider body of work?

They really began as my studies. I started painting these smaller 10 x 8s as a kind of warm up, the way Hans Hofmann did his daily exercises. It helps me loosen up and find the rhythm.

Most days, I begin by working on a series of them before moving on to larger pieces. Over time, they became their own body of work. They still connect to the bigger paintings and sculptures, but they also stand on their own.

You have found great success and popularity as an artist. What is it that you think resonates with collectors?

I think my work brings people joy. And that is something the world really needs. Collectors connect with the lightness, the color, the sense of play. I believe that feeling of joy and positivity is what draws them in.

Why is now a good time to collect Hunt Slonem’s work?

“I think that Hunt’s work is undervalued in the market. He is in over 250 museum collections, yet his work is still very affordable to a large percentage of the affluent population. It is also always a good time to collect if you love art. I think people are drawn to the energy in the work, the color, the sense of spirit. And beyond all that, it brings joy. That is really the most important part,” Hartman said.

Do you have anything to add?

Just that it is all channeled. I never really thought any of this up. It simply comes through me. Painting is my daily practice. It is my devotion. I paint every day because I love it. What you see in the work is what flows through.