Ernest Lee

When I opened the gallery and needed to come up with a logo, I pulled out a favorite I had been keeping for some time but never had the opportunity to use. I just liked the image of a chicken man. So, naturally when it came time to name the web site- Chickenman came to mind. Flash forward a little, and people kept coming in and asking to see my Chicken Man art. So, I had to tell the story...and they left.

Turns out they were referring to Ernest Lee, known to many as the Funky Chicken Man. Well, I finally got to meet him, and he is a delight. We visit a couple times a year, and I bring back a selection for the gallery so I am never in a position to say I don't have any Chicken Man art.

Ernest Lee began painting around age five. Currently he sets up his portable studio by the side of a road in Columbia, SC. When he's not there, he is attending one of the many art festivals he participates in throughout the year. He says he's painted 11,000 pieces in the last 8 years. He paints more than chickens, but they are the subject that people see and instantly recognize "Chicken Man" art.