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Henry David Potwin is a Texas-based painter known for vivid narrative works that blend realism, symbolism, and social commentary. His paintings often explore the lives of everyday people, political and cultural issues, and the boundary between dream and reality, encouraging viewers to look deeper into a scene and discover layered meanings. Alongside his conceptual work, he is an accomplished and in-demand portrait artist.

 

Potwin’s artistic foundation includes formal training and mentorship. He studied Fine Arts at the University of Houston, where he was a classmate of renowned painter and filmmaker Julian Schnabel. Earlier in his development, he studied under noted painter Eric Gibbard in Taos, New Mexico, whose influence helped sharpen his technical skill and appreciation for expressive, narrative-driven figurative painting.

 

A substantial portion of Potwin’s artistic growth occurred during a 25-year period of federal incarceration, where he worked daily and produced a significant body of work. Since his release in 2017, he has continued painting full-time, expanding his thematic scope and growing his collector base. His work is now widely recognized in Texas and beyond, with many pieces held in private collections.

 

Potwin has exhibited in galleries, cultural centers, and museum spaces, including both solo and group exhibitions. His shows have featured paintings with strong social messages, surrealist influence, and technical precision — all core to his practice. Portrait commissions remain a major aspect of his career and serve both as income and as personal connection with the people he paints.

 

He currently maintains a large, diverse inventory of completed works available for appraisal and future sales opportunities, including social-commentary canvases, narrative cityscapes, symbolic interior scenes, and numerous portraits.

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• Training & Education

 

Studied Fine Arts, University of Houston

 

Classmate of Julian Schnabel

 

Mentored by painter Eric Gibbard, Taos, New Mexico

 

Lifelong self-directed study and daily studio practice

 

•  Exhibitions & Career Highlights

 

Solo and group exhibitions in Texas and other U.S. locations

 

Museum and cultural center shows featuring socially engaged and narrative works

 

Strong local collector market and continued regular private sales

 

Extensive production over several decades — a unique continuous oeuvre documenting distinct eras of his life and perspective