Biography
Christa Stephens is an autistic artist who uses the emblematic language of geometry to contemplate neurodiverse experiences within normative society. Her optically invigorating abstract works merge conceptual and material practices into a prismatic visual vocabulary, depicting visceral responses to sensory and perceptual encounters as well as the impact of socio-cultural challenges encountered in her daily life. Through the processes of painting and mixed-media, she explores multifaceted themes of inclusion/exclusion, and connection/segregation with juxtaposition of elements, hard edges, and bold color interactions. Mapping her surfaces with determinacy, she systemizes her world into clearly dissected forms, infusing rigorous structure with a spirit of expansive exuberance.
Christa grew up on the high plains of eastern New Mexico in the years before autism was understood as a neurodiverse spectrum. Although traits were present from an early age, her differences were misconstrued and she was frequently faulted for what others considered to be objectionable eccentricities. She found refuge in creative practice, though, and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in music, followed by explorations in visual art and graphic design. Eventually, she developed a distinctive drafting/painting technique based on her inclination to transmute lived experiences into abstract compositions. This unusual approach to artistic process led to a deeper understanding of her neurodivergence and culminated in a formal midlife diagnosis of ASD.
Christa lives and works in Santa Fe, NM, where she is represented by Aurelia Gallery. Her paintings have been exhibited in museums, galleries, and contemporary art centers throughout the southwestern United States, including the Albuquerque Museum, the Museum of Geometric and Madi Art in Dallas, TX, and the International Museum of Art in El Paso, TX.