Christen Austin, a premier painter and prominent figure in the Black Los Angeles art scene, is celebrated for her striking acrylic portraits that center on Black culture and identity. With a style that merges technical precision and social storytelling, her work caught the eye of Halle Berry, who shared one of Christen’s paintings on social media in 2020.
The post catapulted her into the spotlight, doubling her Instagram following from 5,000 to 10,000 in just a week. Riding this wave of recognition, Christen followed up with a stunning acrylic portrait of Sade, solidifying her reputation as a rising and innovative artist with a growing audience and a powerful message.
Her artistic journey began in childhood, mimicking her mother’s meticulous stippling technique to create lifelike portraits from tiny dots. While Christen eventually opted for a different approach, she honed her own style, specializing in acrylic portraiture.
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Christen Austin’s creative process begins with deep thought and reflection. “It usually starts with a concept,” she explains, often sparked by a quote or reading that ignites a vision. From there, she gathers references, draws color inspiration, sketches her idea, and transfers it to canvas, allowing the painting to come to life.
Her ideas rarely remain unchanged; instead, they evolve organically as she works. Her art is guided by intuition, experimentation, and a willingness to adapt, transforming each creation into a layered, dynamic process rather than a predetermined outcome.
One of Austin’s standout works, “The Black Woman’s Burden,” draws inspiration from the concept of intersectionality. This idea, introduced to her by a professor, was explained through a vivid analogy: “If you were to put everybody’s experiences and struggles in a barrel and reached all the way to the bottom, you would pull out a Black woman because her experiences and struggles intersect with everybody else’s.”
Initially, Christen considered illustrating the barrel analogy directly. However, her vision shifted after encountering an image of Atlas, the Greek mythological figure traditionally depicted as a white man carrying the weight of the world. To Christen, this depiction fell short of capturing the essence of the struggles she sought to portray. Instead, she reimagined the image with a Black woman holding the weight of the world.
Christen Austin’s “Seeds of Self-Esteem” is one of her most celebrated works, created for her first solo show at Audacity Creative in 2013. The show, themed Kintsugi: Healing Through Our Broken Pieces, was inspired by the Japanese art of kintsugi, where broken pottery is repaired with gold and other metals, turning imperfections into something beautiful and whole.
Christen sought to translate this concept to the human experience, exploring how we mend our own brokenness through various healing practices. She created this piece “to illustrate the healing of generational trauma of low self-esteem in our community by caring for our hair through the generations.”
Christen Austin’s journey as an artist has been shaped by pivotal advice, personal exploration, and a rekindling of her passion for art. She emphasizes the importance of finding a mentor, a step that was transformative in her career.
“Doing the shows and everything by yourself can get overwhelming,” she reflects. Her mentor provided guidance on navigating exhibitions and taught her essential technical skills like using Photoshop and Illustrator to create digital works and format prints.
Beyond the creative, he encouraged her to establish the business side of her art, pushing her to secure a business license and take ownership of her professional growth. This mentorship gave Christen the foundation she needed to evolve as an artist and entrepreneur.
Christen Austin’s art is a bridge between cultural storytelling and personal reflection, offering a powerful commentary on healing and community. With her striking acrylic portraits and a growing audience, she continues to make her mark as a proud and invaluable figure in the Black Los Angeles art scene.
Follow Christen Austin’s journey on Instagram @c.austinart and at caustinarts.com.
