Henry Callahan

Henry Callahan  was born in Athens, GA in 1947. His parents had met at the University of Georgia prior to World War II. In 1953, the Callahan family moved to LaGrange, GA.

“I began my education and was encouraged to pursue my interest in art with courses at the local art association, and through private tutoring with Marge Schilling, a protege of Jackson Pollock’s wife Lee Krasner, who helped me develop my interest in painting by exploring relationships between color and form,” he explains.

Despite his love for painting, he studied Architecture at Auburn University. Finally, Art won out and he transferred to Auburn's School of Art where he studied Visual Design with a minor in Painting. “I flourished in this environment especially with the encouragement of my painting professor Hugh O. Williams, who was inspirational and a dominant figure in my life by encouraging my understanding of color relationships and texture,” he says.

Callahan was graduated in 1969 from Auburn University with a BFA and moved to New York City where he worked as a graphic designer.

"The New York period of my life was an exciting one spent in exploration of the opportunities presented by the current art scene through visiting galleries and museums, and connecting with artists throughout the city," he says. "In my quest to explore more of the world, I left New York and traveled throughout Europe and North Africa where I painted constantly," he continues.

In 1984, Callahan started a marketing communications firm in Baltimore, MD. He employed 25 professionals promoting retail food and food-service companies to their customers throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the US. After retiring from that company in 2000, Callahan moved to Ft. Lauderdale, FL where he maintained a residence.

 

Callahan Portrait

For the next seven years, he traveled extensively and painted as he decided on his next career move. In 2007, he accepted a position as director of client services for a prominent digital marketing firm in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He traveled to and represented Caribbean destinations and luxury resorts to the world.

This combination of travel and graphic design has uniquely positioned Callahan to establish himself as an important painter with considerable skills and knowledge. The titles of many of his paintings are named for the exotic places where he has found his inspiration. He has remained true to his earliest training with paintings that have the energy of Pollack, but with uniquely Callahan control.

In 2013, Callahan returned to Georgia and set up a studio in Decatur. He now paints full time. You can see his work at Reinike Gallery.