Christina West sculpts realistically rendered human figures that exist at a strange scale and exhibit bold, unnatural colors. The figures are frozen mid-gesture, inviting our gazes and encouraging projection about the nature of their actions.  Christina lives in Atlanta, GA where she teaches at Georgia State University. She received a BFA from Siena Heights University in 2003 and a MFA from Alfred University in 2006. Christina has been an artist-in-residence at the Archie Bray Foundation, The Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, and The Clay Studio in Philadelphia. Her work has been supported additionally by a grants and fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the George Sugarman Foundation, the Mary L. Nohl Artist Fund and the Southeastern College Art Conference.

Education
2006        MFA, New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, Alfred, NY
2003-04    Post-baccalaureate Studies, Alfred University, Alfred, NY   
2003        BFA, Siena Heights University, Adrian, MI
summer 02    Studied Abroad in Florence, Italy, Santa Reparata International School of Art

Residencies
2011        The Clay Studio Guest Artist in Residence, Philadelphia
2010        Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha, NE
2008        Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, Buffalo, NY
2006-07    The Archie Bray Foundation for Ceramic Arts, Helena, MT

Solo Exhibitions
2011    What a Doll: the Human Object as Toy, UNF Gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Art,
    Jacksonville, FL
2011    New Work by Christina West, Trace Gallery, Athens, GA
2010    What a Doll: the Human Object as Toy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
2009    Where the Wild Things Are, Klemm Gallery, Siena Heights University, Adrian, MI
2009    No Exit, Pacini Lubel Gallery, Seattle, WA
2008    No Exit, Allen Priebe Gallery, University of Wisconsin--Osh-Kosh
2008    Shadows and Fog, Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, Buffalo, NY
2006    The Sleep of Reason, Fosdick-Nelson Gallery, Alfred, NY
2003    Refiguring the Ordinary, Klemm Gallery, Siena Heights University, Adrian, MI
   
Group Exhibitions
2012    Push Play, Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA
2012    OutFigured, Center for Visual Art, Denver, CO
2012    To Be Human…. Tinney Contemporary, Nashville, TN
2012    Explicit Content, Mindy Solomon Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL
2012    10th Anniversary New Acquisitions, ASU Art Museum Ceramic Research Center, Tempe, AZ
2012    2012 Visiting Artist Exhibition, The Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT

2011    Movers and Shakers, The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, Atlanta, GA
2011    The Strangely Familiar: Mark Burleson and Christina West (two person), West Tampa Arts Center, FL
2011    Personal Icons, Mindy Solomon Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL
2011    Figuration, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA

2010    Contemporary Figurative Ceramics, Barton College Art Gallery, Wilson, NC
2010    12th Annual Art Auction and Exhibition, The Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha, NE
2010    Positioning the Figure, Signature Gallery, Atlanta, GA
2010    Pretty Young Things, Lacoste Gallery, Concord, MA
2010    Corporeal Manifestations, Mutter Museum at The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, PA
2010    ArtAxis Invitational Exhibition, Cheltenham Art Center, Philadelphia, PA
2010    Georgia State University Faculty Exhibition, Welch School of Art and Design, Atlanta, GA
2010    Ceram-A-Rama Exhibition and Auction, ASU Art Museum Ceramic Research Center, Tempe, AZ
2010    NEXPO, NCECA Conference Expo, Philadelphia, PA
2010    Soft, Trace Gallery, Athens, GA
2010    Small Favors V, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA

2009    Former Firsts, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
2009    Small Favors IV, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
2009    Summer Workshop Preview Exhibition, Santa Fe Clay, NM

2008    Contemporary Ceramics, Harvey Meadows Gallery, Aspen, CO
2008    The Seven Deadly Sins, Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe, NM
2008    A New Breed, Crossman Gallery, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
2008    Ceram*A*Rama: Soul on Fire, ASU Art Museum, Ceramic Research Center, Tempe, AZ   
2008    Interpreting the Figure, The Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT
2008    All Fired Up, Museum of Wisconsin Art, West Bend, WI

2007    Renegade Clay: Five Views from the West, ASU Art Museum, Tempe, AZ
2007    Fellowship Exhibition, The Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT
2007    Mastery in Clay, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
2007    The Northwest Figurative Sculpture Exhibition, Turman-Larison Contemporary, Helena, MT
2007    The Archie Bray Artists Exhibition, Shanghai, China
2007    The Interpreted Figure, The Schein-Joseph International Museum of Art, Alfred, NY
2007    Ceramics…On The Edge, UMLAUF Sculpture Garden and Museum, Dallas, TX

2006    The Figure, Harvey Meadows Gallery, Aspen, CO
2006    Alfred on 25th, J. Cacciola Gallery, Chelsea, NY
2006    The Marge Brown Kalodner Graduate Exhibition, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA

2004    New Art from Alfred, The Loupe Gallery, Prattsburgh, NY
2004    San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts National Ceramic Competition, San Angelo, TX

2003    Toledo Area Artists Exhibition, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, OH

2002    Earth in Balance, Rosewood Gallery, Kettering, OH
2002    Celebrate Clay, Lawrence St. Gallery, Pontiac, MI

Awards
2012    Ernest Welch School of Art and Design Summer Research Award
2011    Georgia State University Research Initiation Grant
2011    Ernest Welch School of Art and Design Summer Research Award
2010    National Council on Education for the Ceramics Arts (NCECA) Emerging Artist Award
2010    Ernest Welch School of Art and Design Summer Research Award
2009    Southeastern College Art Conference (SECAC) Individual Artist’s Fellowship
2009    Mary L. Nohl Suitcase Export Grant, Milwaukee, WI
2007    New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship
2007    George Sugarman Foundation Grant
2006    Lilian Fellowship, Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT
2006    First Place, The Marge Brown Kalodner Graduate Exhibition, The Clay Studio, PA
2004    Third Place, National Ceramic Competition, San Angelo Museum of Fine Art

Permanent Collections
The Arizona State University Ceramic Research Center, Tempe, AZ
The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
The Archie Bray Foundation for Ceramic Arts, Helena, MT
Schein-Joseph International Museum of Art at Alfred University, Gloryhole Collection
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo, TX
Wright State University, Dayton, OH
Siena Heights University, Adrian, MI