R. Gregory Christie

R. Gregory Christie started his career along an unconventional path. “I started painting in night clubs. DJs would spin records, and I would show slides or do a live painting in front of a crowd. Sounds crazy, I know, but coming from a small town in NJ and having no network in NY, it was an idea that turned into an opportunity.” These life painting sessions led to album artwork and then to his first children’s book project with Lee and Lowe books. His first book, Palm of My Heart, earned him a Coretta Scott King Honor award and started him on his prolific career.

Some of his books deal with historical figures, and others are fantastical and abstract. “Each one has its distinct demeanor, and I get into each separate mindset to create something beautiful and interesting. I’ve always been inspired by any artist who can alter the human form with an eloquence and rhythm. I simply can’t get away from the human form and portraiture. Inspiration also comes from living life and keeping the balance of being social.”

R. Gregory Christie is known today as a multi-award winning illustrator, whose accolades include a Caldecott Honor for Freedom in Congo Square, art for the New Orleans Jazz Festival’s Congo square poster, designer for the 2013 United States Postal office’s Kwanzaa Stamp, six Coretta Scott King Honor awards and even a 2010 NAACP Image award for his work in the book Our Children Can Soar: A Celebration of Rosa, Barack, and the Pioneers of Change authored by J. Patrick Lewis.

From album cover designs to children’s books to animating films, Christie continues his inspired journey of art from his studio in Atlanta, Georgia.

Related Exhibitions: The Work and Whimsy of R. Gregory Christie (2022)