Christina Katrakis

Early life and education

Katrakis was born in 1980, December 16, in Kiev, in a family of Anatoliy Kushch-Katrakis and Helen Pilkevich-Kushch. Her father is Ukrainian sculptor, author of many historical monuments in Ukraine, United States, Iran, Lebanon and Poland, residing in Kiev, Ukraine. Her mother is Ukrainian ethnographer and an art historian. She officially took the double second name Katrakis-Kushch because of self-perception of Greek legacy of her ancestors, who were Ellinian Greeks, migrated long ago to Ukraine, according to her father.

Katrakis founded the International Academy of Arts in 2005 which is now based in Munich, Germany.

In age of 12, Katrakis went to the USA with her parents, when her father received an order for a monument creation in Chicago. Her parents have returned to their homeland, but Christina stayed and went to English International institute for foreign languages in Washington (1992–1993). In 1993–1994 she studied at Catholic school of St. Nicholas in Chicago and in parallel – in a specialized school "Glenn Eco". In 1994–1998 she returned in Kiev, where she studied at the Shevchenko State Art School. In 1996–1998 she studied at courses of Arts, Art History and Anatomy in Italy and France (Lorenco di Medici' Academy in Florence and Sorbonne Academy in Paris). In 1998–2000 she studied at the National Academy of fine Arts and Architecture in Kiev. In 2000–2002 she studied at the Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, USA. She also studied at the renowned National Academy of Art of Ukraine, as well as in various art schools in Europe and in the USA. She passed a terminal MA degree from the University of Memphis, where she teaches drawing, figure structure, watercolor and oil painting. She spent several years at the University of Memphis as a teacher and lecturer, and building a national reputation as an artist: her works are owned by Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Angelina Jolie, among others.

Life and work

Katrakis had a son, who died when he was only 8 days old, from a heart disease, caused by a Chornobyl disaster and another baby, who was unborn, for the same reason. In one month after, she drew-up a cycle of paintings named "Zone", inspired by this horrible events.

Katrakis also known not only as a painter, but also as potter, sculpturer, writer and documentary maker. It started in 2002, when she had presented several projects during her study at the ASU. In 2011 Katrakis photo series "Tree of Life" appeared in "The picture of the World. Free look" exhibition hosted in Kiev, Ukraine. In 2011 was a productive for Katrakis – she took part in 6 exhibitions around the world, including opening of own exhibition in Kiev, Ukraine.

Katrakis made a film "UltraViolet Light" presented in 2014 at the RAR Gallery. In 2014, Katrakis was at the Maidan of Independence in the heart of capital of Ukraine, during disturbances in Kiev in the Second Maidan revolution, approved by a photo.