Visual artist Christine Sullivan Follow.Art Card

About me

I am a multidisciplinary artist who creates two- and three-dimensional textile works, alongside painting, screenprinting, and assemblage. I consider the interconnectedness of all beings while critically examining how consumerism, institutions, and systems of power shape collective thought and behavior.

My approach is informed by my background in advertising and graphic design, experiences that have cultivated my sensitivity to messaging and indoctrination. To draw attention to these elements, I consistently reduce ideas and objects to their essential components, frequently reimagining ubiquitous symbols and logos that permeate everyday life.

Wool felt is my primary creative material and I use it to interrogate the grandiose messaging embedded in religious, political, and corporate iconography, while also honoring practices historically marginalized and gendered within the Western art canon. My text-based works further emphasize this messaging, exposing the tension between truth and illusion — and questioning their impact on societal well-being.

My work is marked by a quiet simplicity and a distillation of ideas. At times, pieces may appear rooted in formalism or material reverence; upon closer inspection, layers of meaning emerge. Viewers are encouraged to find their own interpretations — whether aligned with the artist’s intent or entirely personal — an openness I actively embrace.

In some works, material itself becomes the subject; in others, society, systems, or cultural references take center stage. Across all of these approaches, an element of surprise — conceptual or formal — remains central.

While my work may evoke minimalism, formalism, or contemporary art traditions, I resist confinement within such categories. Instead, I challenge artistic conventions by experimenting with unconventional materials — such as razor wire, rubber, and nails — and by inventing new techniques.