(Translated from Russian)
Follow the rabbit. An exhibition of the famous American neo-expressionist of our time, Hunt Slonem, entitled “Pop Exotica,” has opened at the Krasnoyarsk Cultural and Historical Center. A distinctive feature of his works is the repeated repetition of images of various animals, primarily rabbits, tropical birds and butterflies. Moreover, they are so closely intertwined with each other in the paintings that they can be difficult to recognize; at the same time, the artist envelops them in a pale, muted light, which gives them true charm. It is not surprising that children really like his work. It was the little Krasnoyarsk residents who acted as presenters and guides at the opening day. Slonem exhibits in 80 fine art museums around the world. But in Russia - only for the third time. Before us, only residents and guests of Moscow and St. Petersburg were able to see the work of the neo-expressionist live. Hunt explains his love for animal art, oddly enough, by the year of his birth.
PROJECT CURATOR FROM THE SERGE SOROKKO GALLERY (SAN FRANCISCO) SOFIA KUCHUMOVA: “According to the Chinese horoscope, Hunt is simply a rabbit. And these are one of his first symbols. Every morning he gets up and draws at least one rabbit. That is, this is some kind of his tradition. Repetition of animals - this is a kind of mantra for him. That is, this is not just pop art in its true manifestation - this is precisely a mantra, because he is such a mystical artist. And he turns to God. And the fact that he repeats images of rabbits, birds and others animals - for him it’s a kind of mantra, a prayer.”
