Originally from New Jersey, I moved to Boston, MA to earn a Master’s degree in Visual Media Arts from Emerson College.  The time spent in New England was mostly focused on filmmaking, though I have been painting and drawing since I was young.  It’s been said that creative people don’t have boundaries when it comes to modus operandi.  That couldn’t be truer for me.

Much of my work is inspired by social and cultural issues.  For example, I traveled to Rwanda to film IN TRANSIT, a documentary about government reform in the small East African nation.  I spent time with students and teachers struggling to use English to keep up with the transitioning system and create economic sustainability.

The theme of sustainability is the focal point of my film BAG IT.  I investigated the eco-implications of plastic grocery bags and explored the greater solid waste debacle that our world faces.  Both environmentalism and politics are intertwined in the documentary, which is true for most environmental issues today.  To my delight, the film has received significant positive acclaim.  It was accepted into a 2010 SXSW showcase, screened at the Museum of Science in Boston, and won the Green Guild Film Festival.  Environmentalism has become a passion for me, and the bicycles that so often appear in my art reflect that.

Most recently, I joined forces with KOOP radio in Austin, TX as Co-Host/Co-Producer of Shades of Green.  The environmental talk magazine show airs weekly on 91.7 and streams worldwide.

I believe that art transcends mediums.  When there is a desire for expression, it can take many forms. In my fine artwork, I have fun abstracting real-world beauty through bold colors and exaggerated shapes.  I appreciate the flaws inherent in hand-drawn and hand-painted pieces, and I love the secondary process of digitally manipulating those original images.  In my film and journalism work, I don’t view the format as a limitation.  Tapping into the human experience by portraying stories that people can find an emotional connection to is the best way to reach an audience, reader, or listener.  I see no limit to technique and I am constantly exploring new artistic methods.  For me, the joy of creating is in the process.

CONTACT ME:  christinegio@gmail.com