Christophe Roberts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Christophe Roberts | |
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| Born | Christophe Roberts March 26, 1980 |
| Education | Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle |
| Known for | Artist |
| Website | christopheroberts |
Christophe Roberts (born March 26, 1980) is a Bahamian-American multidisciplinary artist working in sculpture, graphic design, painting, and creative direction. His work explores masculinity, personal history, and consumerism by repurposing everyday objects such as building materials and up-cycled Nike shoeboxes. He has said, “A true artist can use all the tools in his box. His style transcends through multiple platforms, from digital, to organic, to textile.”.[1]
Roberts was born on the north side of Chicago in 1980. His mother, now retired, is a Chicago-based educator from Opelika, Alabama. She was a teacher, and later a principal at Brentano Math & Science Academy. His father was a government accountant born in the Abaco Islands, Bahamas . Roberts cites his mother, childhood neighbor, and his aunt, Gloria Ward, as early influences . Ward worked as a production and fashion designer for legendary artists such as Marlena Shaw, Tom Joyner, Stanley Turrentine, Stephanie Mills, Maurice Hines, and on the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) film. From an early age, Roberts participated in art programs and live painting. He was reared in various Chicago neighborhoods surrounded by literature, graphic novels, and fashion books. His cousin, Ashaki Ward, is a choreographer and dancer who worked with performers like Heavy D and R. Kelly. At 15, Roberts joined Peanut Gallery, a Chicago hip-hop crew. He cites dancer, rapper, producer, and graffiti artist Anacron (Artist) as a role model in his youth. The works of Todd McFarlane, HR Giger, Katsuhiro Otom, the movies Wild Style (1983) and Akira (1988) are early source materials . Roberts has said he viewed a KRS-One concert as an art piece that impacted his multidisciplinary inclinations.
Education
Roberts attended Ogden Public School and Francis W. Parker School in Chicago. He earned his BFA at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.[2] His studies in the Design Department included illustration, film, web design, welding, and music. Although Cornish did not have a study abroad program, Roberts pursued independent study at Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom. During his year in Europe, Roberts visited museums and was inspired to focus on painting after seeing pieces by Pablo Picasso and Euan Uglow in person. Following graduation, Roberts remained in Seattle for three years, selling modern cubist paintings (using doors as canvases) in coffee shops, on the main drag, and to local drug dealers. In this time Christophe Roberts also produced and recorded over 100 songs, releasing an album of hip-hop and electronic music .
