Although Alexys Henry was born in Arizona, she grew up in both Phoenix and New York, influenced by dramatic shifts in both cultural and physical environments. As a child, the long clear expanses of deep snow covered fields broken by rich patches of overgrown trees and half frozen streams, captivated her and continue to influence her imagery.
While in Phoenix, Henry was very active on her college campus studying Journalism, Painting, and Early Childhood Education, which have combined to lead her to develop an art enrichment program to teach children how to use their creativity to create expressive environment-friendly art out of repurposed material.
Henry moved to Berkeley, California in 2002. The energy and history of the city are reflected in many of her abstract paintings. “There I found myself drawn to every day details such as cracks in walls and layers of peeling paint and poster paper. Nature flourishes alongside urban decay. For me this is the backdrop of a duplicitous sense of danger as well as hope and community.”
From there, Henry traveled to Seattle where she lived briefly and enjoyed driving along the coastline drinking in views of the endless ocean, which show up in her seascapes. Now living in Phoenix with her daughter, Henry aspires to be a vehicle for freedom and creativity in her work, often allowing artistic media to lead her in composition and technique. “I love to experiment with new materials and combinations and my style carries contemporary as well as organic and urban sensibilities.”
