Hunt Slonem Chinensis For Sale

About this work

Hunt Slonem has established himself as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary American painting, recognized internationally for his densely layered, neo-expressionist compositions. His work resides in over 250 museum collections worldwide, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, positioning him among the most collected living American artists. This 2018 oil on canvas from Slonem's celebrated Bunnies series exemplifies the artist's signature approach to repetition as a meditative practice. Since beginning the series in the 1980s, Slonem has painted tens of thousands of rabbits, each rendered with gestural immediacy against richly textured grounds built up through cross-hatched brushwork. The rabbit motif emerged from the artist's fascination with his own Chinese zodiac sign and evolved into an extended exploration of pattern, rhythm, and spiritual contemplation influenced by his study of Buddhist and Hindu philosophy. At 36 by 48 inches, this work presents Slonem's subjects at a commanding scale, allowing the viewer to fully appreciate the interplay between the deliberately crude figuration and the sophisticated color field that surrounds each form. The scratched, almost archaeological surface treatment creates a sense of accumulated time, as though the images have been excavated rather than painted. Slonem's market presence remains robust, with consistent results at auction reflecting sustained collector demand for works from this ongoing body of production. For acquisition inquiries regarding this Hunt Slonem painting, please contact Guy Hepner.