Henry Swanson

Henry Swanson (b. 1993) is a Postwar and Contemporary artist and oil painter living and working in Brooklyn. His work is inspired by cartoons, comics, and his childhood growing up in Dallas.

Swanson’s paintings often feature vibrant colors, dynamic compositions, and a playful yet introspective, reflecting his deep engagement with both personal memory and wider cultural narratives.

“I like the thought of introducing the viewer to something that doesn’t feel like outright pop. The speed of the image in today’s platforms makes the notion of pop feel obsolete in a way that feels reassuring somehow, I’m in the library, the movie theater, the kitchen, the living room, the 1970s, international and hyper local all at once from the platform of the internet which, all at once, can feel incredibly obsolete but infinitely relaxing. To be a part of everybody’s everything can be horrible but to paint something so banal like a plate of fish and have someone go ‘I know exactly where you sourced that’ – is almost the perfect reaction whether they loved or hated the work.”

-Henry Swanson