Christopher “Khalifah” Christensen

I don't have any one type of artwork I make. I never know when or what will be my inspiration at any time. With this in mind, inspiration can come from anywhere, at any time; and if it is a visual object it will tell me what form it should take. 

My primary mediums are watercolor, block printing, and acrylic; though at times it comes out as lyrics and poetry. I am a "free form" artist who goes with "what feels right " as opposed to being a student of art history. My art comes from a therapeutic need to express myself and connect with others.

Incarceration has been a double edged sword in that it has been both a source of pain and isolation, while also giving me time to heal deep seeded wounds of childhood traumas. These strong emotional states have given me a lot of material to work with over the years.

My crowning artistic achievement (in my eyes) was to have my hand-written, hand-bound, hand-illustrated book “Visions of A Traveler” (an autobiographical collection of original lyrics, poetry, and esoteric charts) shown at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. To have it set out on a pedestal where people could look and read it felt like a great accomplishment. Art is therapy for me and almost always is a reflection of what makes me ME. It is also a way for me to introduce myself to others and hopefully make them feel something.

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