Henry Faulkner (American, 1924–1981) was born in the tiny community of Egypt, Kentucky, in 1924. Orphaned at an early age, he was raised in a series of foster homes, an unsettled childhood that shaped both his independence and his expressive artistic voice. Often described as Kentucky’s answer to both Oscar Wilde and Toulouse-Lautrec, Faulkner lived a vividly bohemian life, moving through New York, Los Angeles, Key West, Sicily, and his beloved Lexington, Kentucky.

A true eccentric, Faulkner blurred the boundaries between art, poetry, and performance. Known for reciting poetry in public with his pet goat in tow and dressing in flamboyant attire, he turned his very life into a kind of living artwork. As his close friend Tennessee Williams once described him, Faulkner was a “brilliant poet and artist”, equal parts Southern mystic, mischievous dandy, and visionary painter.

Faulkner studied at the Los Angeles County Art Institute, where he learned from influential artists such as Millard Sheets, Margaret Montgomery, and Pierre Sicard. His distinctive painting style, characterized by bold color, lyrical abstraction, and dreamlike figuration - blended elements of Surrealism, Expressionism, and folk art. Many of his works reflect a romanticized vision of rural Kentucky, often infused with mythological or fantastical imagery.

Studied

Los AngelesCounty AI, with Millard Sheets, Margaret Montgomery, Pierre Sicard, and others

Exhibited

Burr Gal., NY, 1958; Little Studio, NY; Univ. Kentucky; ACA Gal., NY; Ringling Mus. Art, Sarasota; Atlanta AA Gal.; Closson Gal., Cincinnati; Gibbes Art Gal., Charleston; Collectors of Am. Art, NY; Duncan Gal., NY; Raymond Duncan Gal., Paris, France; Beverly Hills, CA; Palm Beach, FL; Stonington (CT) Art Gal.; Lowe Gal., Univ. Miami; Studio Club Gal., Lexington, KY; Univ. Louisville Art Center

Work

Univ. Kentucky; Los Angeles County AI; CM

Resources

WW66