ABOUT

Cristi López, b. 1993

I am an artist, educator, and first-generation American of Dominican, Spanish, and Cuban descent. I earned a BFA in Illustration from Ringling College of Art and Design in 2016.

My intimate, expressive paintings explore the often-invisible journeys of navigating mental health, femininity, and faith. Inspired by my multicultural upbringing, identity is treated as an assortment of contradictions and ambiguity to be explored, not as something to be solved or determined. My compositions amass seemingly unrelated elements and arrange them in a way that feels real, reflecting the ambiguous, often absurd experience of navigating the world within. Ranging from studio paintings to large-scale public artworks, my pieces serve as vibrant sites of connection and visibility, transforming everyday spaces into places where people feel seen, valued, and inspired to connect.

Alongside my studio practice, I host the Queer Contours weekly figure drawing series with Queer Expression St. Pete as well as Divinas, a quarterly figure drawing popup inspired by feminine deities. I also teach vinyasa yoga at SukhaLife.

I am currently based in St. Petersburg, Florida.