Christina Legere was born in Arizona and grew up in Hong Kong before later moving to Singapore, England and eventually to Los Angeles, to study art and design at Santa Monica College. She later moved to New York studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Legere’s international upbringing influences her materials and subject matter. Her work uses religious and pop culture iconographies to critique society and systems of power.  Legere creates 3 dimensional mixed media works on canvas using collected toys, acrylic paint, found objects, and more. She currently lives between New York City and Upstate New York, creating work everywhere around her. 

The world around me and the world within me are both vast, endlessly inspiring and at times exhausting. I use artmaking to navigate, translate and deeply ponder our greater society as well as my own community and circumstances. I begin my work with a central figure, for example Mary or Brittney Spears or a family member or friend, before building up layers of paint, collected toys, found objects, and more. The layers become a history deeply entrenched with characters on their own journeys, as if they’ve left my mind and have begun a life of their own.  

Humor serves as an entry point to the realities of our fycked up world. Eyes play an important role in the work, eyes personify objects.  I do not see these works as 3 dimensional paintings, but rather I see them as my friends.  I work in my apartment, I paint everywhere and everything.  My work around me sees me, they witness my life with their eyes. 

I create to survive, I am the work and the work is me.