Henry Hess creates intricate, layered illustrations that transform classic films into architectural cutaway worlds, blending structured linework with cinematic nostalgia. His artistic process begins with hundreds of photographs taken during daily life and travel, which inspire sketching, cutting, and layering techniques that reflect both narrative structure and sensory detail. Hess’s work draws from iconic films such as Mary Poppins, The Wizard of Oz, and Singin’ in the Rain, but reinterprets these familiar scenes through a uniquely meticulous, architectural lens. Rather than aiming for pure representation, Hess focuses on capturing the movement, memory, and rhythm of cinematic moments. His lines are deliberate and repetitive, creating visual narratives that feel both storyboard-like and multidimensional. Recent international exhibitions, including his debut at the Art Brut Project Cuba Biennial, have further expanded Hess’s creative perspective. Experiences like walking through Cuban galleries and documenting street life have introduced new visual textures and compositional choices into his paintings and drawings. Community and visibility play a key role in Hess’s work. He is known not just as an artist with autism but as a vital presence in Columbus, Ohio’s Franklinton Arts District. His work is exhibited locally and internationally, and he thrives on participating in gallery receptions and sharing space with fellow artists and supporters. Through his visual language, Hess invites viewers into layered, immersive worlds that echo both personal experience and shared cultural memory.
Henry Hess (b. 2000, Columbus, Ohio) is a self-taught visual artist whose meticulous, layered illustrations transform classic films into intricate cutaway worlds. Diagnosed with autism as a child, Henry has always communicated through art. His practice draws inspiration from cinematic icons like Mary Poppins, The Wizard of Oz, and Singin’ in the Rain, layering sketches and cutouts to build dimensional storyboards on paper. At age 14, Henry held his first solo show at The Vanderelli Room. Since then, he has become a founding artist at 400 West Rich and maintains a permanent studio at Chromedge in Columbus’s Franklinton Arts District. Over the past decade, Henry has mounted 17 solo exhibitions and participated in more than 50 group shows, including the Columbus Museum of Art, Lindsay Gallery, and the Outsider Art Fair in New York. In 2025, Henry made his international debut in Havana, Cuba, as part of the Art Brut Project Cuba Biennial. This experience profoundly influenced his creative process and perspective, inspiring new work shaped by hundreds of photographs he captured during the trip. Media recognition includes PBS/WOSU’s Broad & High and features from the Franklinton Arts District, where Henry’s presence is regarded as essential to the neighborhood’s creative identity. Henry’s art bridges local and global outsider art conversations, resonating with collectors, curators, and fellow artists alike. His work invites viewers into his sensory and architectural imagination—where narrative, place, and memory intersect.