Christina Szakonyi

Wisdom's Heart

Christina Szakonyi (b. 1986) is an American painter and sculptor. She grew up in a rural area of central Florida, surrounded by animals that inspired her first drawings. Later, she studied art at a community college where she earned an associate degree in graphic design. It was another seven years, after earning a business degree, that she sought out more rigorous training in traditional fine arts with in-depth study of oil painting, charcoal drawing, and the figure. Her work is collected and exhibited nationally and has been published twice in the APERO Catalogue Fine Art Collection, an international fine art publication. She was a finalist in the International Art Renewal Center Salon Competition and, most recently, was awarded the BoldBrush Award, a once in a lifetime award of excellence. Her work has also been featured in Realism Today and Southwest Art Magazine’s annual emerging artist feature, “21 Under 31 Young Artists to Watch.” She currently lives and works in Florida where she is a Master of Fine Arts candidate at Florida State University. 

My paintings reflect my interest in the intersection of religious, scientific, and philosophical thought on origins. Building on the history of sacred art and architecture, I incorporate religious iconography, modern imagery from scientific study, and my personal interactions with living creatures to explore the divine connection I see in the natural world. Utilizing sculptural relief elements, paint, and charcoal, my paintings of life-size animals are reimagined remnants of the first enclosed garden.   

“Wisdom’s Heart” continues my explorations of these themes with a life size Eastern Screech Owl. Elements of Christian iconography are paired with seemingly opposite symbols found in science and geometry. Architecture is of particular influence, with the patterns influenced by the rose windows of sacred structures.