Bio
Bio
Chris Hunt is a nationally recognized Artist who specializes in charcoal and pastel drawings, along with bronze sculpture. His realistic portrayals of past and present figures bring their unique stories to life with remarkable detail and drama. He has a breathtaking flair for capturing and evoking emotion in every work, ranging from the noble and striking Native American, the historic Vaquero to the hard working American Cowboy. Chris’s work has been sought after by individual collectors, corporate installations, TV personalities and even heads of state. He has won several Best of Show awards, People’s Choice awards and several Best Sculpture awards in shows and museums. He's represented by Legacy Gallery and Manitou Gallery. He also has been featured in magazine publications such as Art of the West, Cowboys & Indians, Western Art Collector, a feature publication for NSide Texas and the SHOUTOUT HTX Publication. He has also shown in Prestigious Museum Shows such as the Briscoe Museum’s Night of Artists, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum’s Small Works, Great Wonders and the Gilcrease Museum’s Collector’s Reserve.
Chris grew up in Texas with a pencil and paper always in reach, drawing whatever subject inspired him, but his true inspiration came after he joined the United States Air Force and toured Europe. He found himself on the streets of Paris, France and eventually the halls of the Louvre Museum. The paintings, drawings and sculptures that filled the Louvre were so awe inspiring. So much so that when he was on leave, instead of coming back to the states, he stayed overseas and visited as many museums, galleries and artist studios as he possibly could with pencil in hand. He spent many hours drawing the Masters that filled the Museums and streets of Paris, Florence and Rome, and overtime became drawn to the drawings and paintings of Davinci, Albrecht Dürer, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Edgar Degas , sculptures of Michelangelo, Bernini, Antonio Canova, and August Rodin, just to name a few.
After returning from his tours in the Air Force, Chris visited museum’s in Texas and discovered the sculptures, painting and works on paper by Frederic Remington and Charles Russell, which inspired him, so he quickly transposed the inspiration he brought home from Europe into Western Art. Like everything in his life, he threw all of his heart and soul into sculpting and drawing, spending years in the tireless study of past and present Masters, spending time in other artist studios and endless hours in his own studio to find his true voice in Western Art.
Artist Statement
I use my work to build a bridge from the past to the present and awaken the senses through vivid realism and bold composition. I want the deep tones of my charcoal to convey the feeling of yesteryear, to pull ones imagination to a place they’ve never been before, to live the story of my subject, and then with a touch of brilliant color in pastel, the viewer is transported to the here and now while still being engrossed in history.
My sculpture exists to enable a spiritual trip in the round. This experience in the third dimension is romantic retrospect, come to life. I find myself a guide to a place so captivating to my soul that it’s my responsibility to make the West our Rendezvous.
MAJOR COLLECTIONS
(One or More Works)
United States Senator Don Nickles
Jerry Jones
Rex Tillersone
JJack and Valerie Gunthera
Don Imus
T. Boone Pickens
Regency Energy Partners
Dallas Petroleum Club
Petroleum Helicopters Inc.
Weatherford International
UBS Warburg
Exxon
Chesapeake Energy
US Steel
BP Capital
Baker Hughes
ITX Corporation
Tubular Synergy Group, LP
Wells Fargo
Wyatt Ranches
DF Ranch, Texas
Fortune Bend River Ranch, Texas
EXHIBITIONS
“Night of Artists” Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX 2024Legacy
Legacy Gallery Holiday Small Works in Scottsdale, AZ. December 7th 2023 - January 1st 2023
"Small Works, Great Wonders, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, November 10th -26th 2023
“Night of Artists” Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX 2023
"Small Works, Great Wonders, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, November 11th -27th 2022
“Night of Artists” Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX 2022
"Night of Artists” Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX 2021
One Man Show, Dallas Petroleum Club, Dallas, TX 2020
“Night of Artists” Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX 2020
“Night of Artists” Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX 2019
One Man Show, Dallas Petroleum Club, Dallas, TX 2018
Haley Memorial Library Art Show and Sale, Midland, TX 2018
“Night of Artists” Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX 2018
“Spindletop” Monumental Relief Unveiling at the Dallas Petroleum Club, Dallas, TX 2017
Haley Memorial Library Art Show and Sale, Midland, TX 2017
“Night of Artists” Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX 2017
Haley Memorial Library Art Show and Sale, Midland, TX 2016
“Night of Artists” Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX 2016
Art Opening and Sculpture Demonstration Acosta Strong Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM 2016
One Man Show, Dallas Petroleum Club, Dallas, TX, 2015
Mountain Oyster Club Art Show and Sale, Tuscon AZ, 2015
Opening Acosta Strong Fine Art, Oklahoma City, OK, 2015
Haley Memorial Library Art Show and Sale, Midland, TX 2015
“Night of Artists” Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX 2015
Haley Memorial Library Art Show and Sale, Midland, TX 2014
“Night of Artists” Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX 2014
One Man Show, Dallas Petroleum Club, Dallas, TX, 2014
“Night of Artists” Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX, 2013
"Best of the West" in Representing the West Art Exhibition & Sale, Sangre de Cristo Arts Museum, Pueblo, CO 2013
"Collector's Reserve" Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK, 2012
One Man Show, Dallas Petroleum Club, Dallas, TX, 2012
38th Annual Phippen Museum Western Art Show and Sale, Prescott, AZ, 2012
Haley Memorial Library Annual Invitational Art Show, Midland, TX, April 27th 2012
Great Western Trail Art Exhibition and Sale, Kerville Western Art Museum, 2012
Cattlemen’s Western Art Show and Sale, Paso Robles, CA, 2012
“Night of Artists” Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX, 2012
“Collector’s Reserve” Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa OK, 2011
“Best of the West” Sangre De Cristo Museum, Pueblo CO. 2011
One Man Show, Dallas Petroleum Club in Dallas, TX. 2011
11th Annual Panhandle Plains Invitational Western Art Show and Sale,
Panhandle Plains Historical Museum, in Canyon TX. 2011
Pearl Studio Western Art Show & Sale, in San Antonio TX, 2011
One Man Show at Dallas Petroleum Club in Dallas, TX 2010
One Man Show at Dallas Petroleum Club in Dallas, TX 2009
"Best of the West" in Representing the West Art Exhibition & Sale, Sangre de Cristo Arts Museum, Pueblo, CO 2009
35th Annual Western Art Show and Sale, Phippen Museum, in Prescott, AZ 2009
Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival in Fort Worth, TX 2009
19th Annual Festival of the West in Scottsdale, AZ 2009
46th Annual Western Art Show and Sale, Witte Museum, San Antonio, TX 2009
One Man Show at Dallas Petroleum Club in Dallas, TX 2008
AWARDS
2012 Gold Medal Award for Sculpture: Bosque Art Classic. Clifton, TX
2009 People’s Choice Award: Sangre De Cristo Art Museum's
"Representing the West Art Exhibition and Sale." Pueblo, CO
ARTICLES
AFFILIATIONS
National Sculpture Society
National Portrait Society
Texas Society of Sculptors