All Art is Folk Art

Henry Stoner was born in Santa Monica, California in 1972. He has an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI), and has been painting since the late 1980's. Henry was influenced by the burgeoning tattoo and street art culture of San Francisco in the 1990's and by folk artists using found materials.

His work spans decades of experimentation with texture, color, and unconventional materials, always holding onto the belief that "all art is folk art." From urban walls to canvas to found objects, Henry's paintings reflect the convergence of cultures and everyday narratives that inspire him.

Henry’s work is rooted in freedom and experimentation, guided more by curiosity than convention. While he received classical training, he has always resisted the rigid rules of the established art world, preferring to follow his instincts and make art with whatever materials come to hand. Blank pizza boxes, discarded cabinets, or objects found in thrift shops and on the street often become his canvases, with their shape, texture, and history directly inspiring the resulting pieces. For Henry, the notion that canvas is the only valid medium has never been true.

Deeply inspired by tattoo culture, graffiti, and the history of outsider art, Henry draws on patterns and motifs from traditional arts such as batik, reimagining them in contemporary, abstract, and street-oriented contexts. His studio is filled with collections of vintage tattoo flash paintings and reference books, informing his explorations of line, pattern, and color. Though he has not actively pursued gallery acclaim or institutional recognition, his work remains intensely personal and authentic, resonating with those who encounter it on its own unconventional terms.