Hunt Slonem (born Hunt Slonim on July 18, 1951, in Kittery, Maine) is an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker renowned for his Neo-Expressionist works featuring bunnies, butterflies, and tropical birds. His art is characterized by thick, lavishly colored brushstrokes, repetitive compositions, and a meditative use of serial imagery, often inspired by Andy Warhol’s Pop art and viewed by Slonem as a form of prayer and worship.

He developed a deep fascination with nature and exotic animals during his childhood, living in Hawaii and as a foreign exchange student in Nicaragua, experiences that profoundly influenced his artistic vision. Slonem studied at Tulane University in New Orleans and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, where he was exposed to influential artists like Alex Katz and Alice Neel. He moved to New York City in 1973 and gained recognition after receiving a grant from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation in 1976.

Slonem maintains a personal aviary of over 60 pet birds in his studio, which serves as both a sanctuary and a direct source of inspiration for his work. His pieces are included in over 250 museum collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Whitney Museum, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He has also gained acclaim for his restoration of historic American buildings, including Belle Terre in the Catskills and the Scranton Armory.

His work has been exhibited internationally in over 350 galleries and museums, and he has received numerous honors, including the National Endowment for the Arts Grant, the Stars of Design Award (2009), and multiple MacDowell Fellowships. Slonem continues to live and work in New York, where he remains a prominent figure in contemporary art.