Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Ward.
Christina, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am a proud Atlanta native, Hapeville, specifically. I was born at Georgia Baptist and spent my childhood in a tiny home on Stewart Avenue, which is now known as Metropolitan Parkway. My city’s rich and culturally fraught history makes me, after all of these years, proud to be an ATLien.
Always an artist, but not formally trained, my love for the natural world and animals drew me towards an undergrad in foresty and zoology. I spent the greater part of my younger life caring and advocating for a wide range of charismatic megafauna – pandas, tigers, sun bears, lions, rhinos, elephants – but it was caring for my beloved giant otters at Zoo Atlanta in 2015 that changed my life forever.
My adventurous and somewhat overachieving spirit led me to the jungles of Guyana, South America, where I would dedicate 8 years of my life to giant otter research, while simultaneously developing a profound respect and love for the Indigenous Peoples of the region. The project, SavetheGiants.org , focused on wildlife conservation with an emphasis on empowering local women and children through education and job creation. The project required money – which I didn’t have enough of, so as a solution to the problem, I launched my own creative arts business and became a full time artist to generate funds to keep the project running.
Additionally, (on the other side of the globe) – In June of 2024, I had the honor of traveling with a dedicated humanitarian aid group (ConservationFusion.org) to a remote village on the Southwest coast of Madagascar to paint a mural for the village’s 250 school children. The experience was humbling, exhilarating, and one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my professional life. Working in 100-degree desert heat, in a place with no running water or electricity and little access to food, pushed me to my emotional and physical limits — and I loved every minute of it. I returned in March of 2025 to lead another community driven mural project, with the village of Kianjavato, in Madagascar’s beautiful and remote mountain region.
Social justice and equity are paramount to my work. Art as resistance is a powerful motivator in the work I create. Prioritizing time to understand the experiences and challenges faced by marginalized communities – listening to their stories and being intentional in my advocacy efforts drives my creative process. I enjoy volunteering with CORAtlanta (WHATSYOURCOR.org), The Aster Project (ASTERPROJECTATL.ORG), and cooking meals for our friends at Frontline Shelters.
I still call Atlanta home, where I am pursuing my MFA in painting and sculpting. You can find me painting murals or creating avant-garde style masks, which I bring to life in absurdly imaginative photoshoots. I also spend as much time as possible fostering orphaned kittens and rehabbing sick wildlife with my wonderful and supportive family.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would say, no, my road has not been smooth. My childhood was a rich tapestry of chaos and trauma. If the entire experience had not been so emotionally scarring, one would almost argue that it was comical. My mother worshiped two things in this life – the words of Rush Limbaugh and Old Milwaukee beer, and she was wholeheartedly convinced that our childhood home was built upon a cursed Indian burial ground and that was the sole reason for our economic misfortunes. My father, an uneducated, hot-headed, blue collar working man had somehow found himself stuck in the time period of 1861-1865, and fashioned himself a rebel soldier. The only family vacations that my sister and I were ever afforded were those to civil war reenactments, where my dad dressed himself up and play-fought like hell for the South to rise again. There was a point in time where my father forced me to participate in the insanity – exploiting my musical talent on the violin and making me play Dixie at numerous confederate soldier memorial services.
These are just anecdotal stories to highlight the magnitude of my highly unstable childhood. The stories have an element of comedic value to them, due to the absolute absurdity of it all, but in truth, my parents were both abusive and extremely unstable, and I didn’t realize until much later in my life that I spent much of my childhood in flight or fight mode. I knew from a very young age that in order to succeed in life I would need to show-up for myself and put the work in. And so I did. I worked hard in school, focused on my academic success, and earned a full scholarship to UGA.
My sister, 8 years younger than me, struggled at home as well, and as a teenager shemoved in with me and my husband. I was a young mother of 2 already and with my sister moving in, it may as well have been 3 children that we were raising. We are very close now, and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to love and support her in ways our parents did not.
The trauma of my childhood set me up for an adulthood plagued by anxiety and self doubt, but I look at my experience as a survivor story. The journey from victim to survivor requires inner strength, resilience, and the capacity for empathy, and I am grateful that my challenges in life have given me a strong sense of identity and purpose. I am making up for my parent’s cruelty through service and dedication to my children, my sister and my community. Through my art and actions, I feel confident that I am making contributions to ensure the future is kinder, more inclusive and more inspiring.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a versatile and innovative multi-disciplinary artist, I integrate sculpture, large scale masks and wearable bust, as well as murals into my practice.
My masks are colorful, imaginative – inspired by various cultural traditions, and fantastical creatures – and are created to encourage social interaction, storytelling, and a collective spirit of playfulness. My masks might are intricately crafted from materials like fabric, clay, moldable plastics and wood, and feature vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and a mix of whimsical and fantastical elements. Each mask not only celebrates creativity and self-expression but also transforms the wearer’s identity, allowing them to step into a new character or persona – one of my favorite aspects of masking. Wearing a mask evokes feelings of empowerment and freedom, enabling people to connect with their inner child, engage in role-play, and foster a sense of community with fellow creatives.
My painting career embodies a compelling dichotomy – balancing domestic, social justice projects, alongside fine-art gallery exhibitions, with international, community-based mural projects. Locally, I create murals that reflect the stories, struggles, and cultural identities of underprivileged groups within my Atlanta community.
My gallery exhibitions feature a mix of large scale paintings, soft sculptures and masks – challenging audiences to embrace the absurd and the playful; the natural over the synthetic; the intrinsic over the market value.
On the international stage, my mural practice extends to diverse third-world countries. The community murals I help bring to life address themes of hope, community resilience and the celebration of the interconnectedness of humans and their environment. My eclectic muraling career reflects my profound commitment to using art as a tool for connection, healing, and activism across different contexts and audiences.
In my unwavering commitment to prioritize creativity and imagination over commercial viability, my art serves as a direct critique of disposable culture that views animals and humans as mere resources or commodities. My presentation of animals in absurd or fantastical contexts mocks consumerist behavior – further challenging the idea that value is determined solely by market principles instead of ecological importance.
In totality, my work serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of all life, emphasizing the importance of intentional and inexorable compassion and empathy, and a push towards radical acceptance. Radical acceptance for
what you don’t understand, for what you don’t encounter, for what you don’t seek out, for what you can’t buy or own.
What’s next?
I am currently midway through my MFA degree in sculpting and painting, so I am looking forward to earning that degree and hoping that my graduate school journey will lead me to my dream career.
I envision myself as a collaborative installation artist – working with a team to create large-scale interactive installations that transform spaces and engage viewers on multiple levels, ultimately encouraging dialogue and provoking emotional responses to the work. I want to create spaces that make people say “WOW” when they walk in – spaces that ignite the imagination and not only stun audiences with fantastical visual elements, but encourage active participation and meaningful reflection that inspires viewers to think creatively about their relationship with the environment and each other.
Additionally – when I finally convince my husband, lol – I have plans to create a large indoor/outdoor wildlife rehabilitation station. A sort of wild animal treehouse, if you will. Every year, the role of wildlife rehabbers in urban environments becomes even more critical, especially as our city continues to expand and develop. It is rare to visit our house and not find a litter of kittens in the basement, and a nest of some sort of injured or orphaned baby animal in the garage. It’s my dream to have a more efficient space to house all of the little creatures in need as they rest and recover.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://xtinapaints.com
- Instagram: @xtinapaintsatl
Image Credits
Dalton Ward
