Christina Katrakis

Katrakis is the daughter of Anatoliy Kushch-Katrakis and Helen Pilkevich-Kushch. Her father is a well known sculptor and author of many historical monuments in the United States, Iran, Libya, Ukraine and Poland. He resides in Kyiv, Ukraine. Her mother is an ethnographer and an art historian. She officially took the double second name Kushch-Katrakis because of the Greek legacy of her ancestors, who were Cretan and Pontic Greeks, who migrated long ago to Ukraine, according to her father.

Katrakis founded the International Academy of Arts in 2005 which is now based in Munich, Germany.

Katrakis comes from a family with a rich heritage: maternal grandfather – last king of Georgia and Armenia (Bagrationi and Dadiani royal lines) and royal prince of Lithuania ( Yagailo Gedimin royal line) – Simon Bagration Dadiani Gedimin Pilke, his grandmother on paternal line was Isabella de Savoy from royal family of Savoy kings of Piemonte and Sardinia. Maternal grandmother – the countess of Poland and Ukraine, granddaughter of countess Ewelina Hańska, the wife of Honoré de Balzac. Paternal line: Father a sculptor Anatoliy Kushch (Katrakis), comes from a family of Cretan artists as well as his cousin Manos Katrakis, famous Greek actor.{{Cite web |title=Kush-Katrakis Khristina Anatliyvna - SCULPTURE SECTION - Sections - The Kiev Organization of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine |url=http://konshu.org/en/section/sculpture/1767.html |access-date=2022-10-27 |website=konshu.org}}

Christina became a model of the Berehynia statue on the Independence Monument in Kyiv, which was made by her father Anatoliy Kushch. The statue is made of cast bronze and weighs about 20 tons.{{Cite web |last=Gazeta.ua |date=2011-02-03 |title="Дівчина з пам'ятника схожа на мене" |url=https://gazeta.ua/articles/people-newspaper/_divchina-z-pamyatnika-shozha-na-mene/370592 |access-date=2022-10-27 |website=Gazeta.ua |language=uk}}

At the age of ten, Katrakis moved to Chicago in the USA with her parents. Her father received a request to create a monument in Chicago.

From 1992 to 1993, Katrakis studied at the English International Institute for Foreign Languages and Diplomacy in Washington.{{Cite web |title=Tauvers Gallery - Katrakis Christina |url=https://www.tauvers-gallery.com/en/artists/manufacturer/view/14 |access-date=2022-10-27 |website=www.tauvers-gallery.com}} From 1993 to 1994, she continued her studies at St. Nicholas Catholic School. In Maryland, Katrakis concurrently attended the specialist school "Glen Eco."

From 1994 to 1998, she studied in Kyiv at the Shevchenko State Art School.{{Cite web |title=Tauvers Gallery - Катракіс Христина |url=https://www.tauvers-gallery.com/ua/artists/manufacturer/view/14 |access-date=2022-10-27 |website=www.tauvers-gallery.com}} From 1996 to 1998, she also studied arts, art history and anatomy in Italy and France (Lorenzo di Medici' Academy in Florence and Sorbonne University in Paris). From 1998 to 2000, Katrakis studied at the National Academy of Visual Arts and Architecture in Kyiv.{{Cite web |title=Кущ-Катракіс Христина Анатоліївна - СЕКЦІЯ СКУЛЬПТУРИ - Секції - Киівська Організація Національної Спілки Художників Украіни |url=http://konshu.org/section/sculpture/1767.html |access-date=2022-10-27 |website=konshu.org}}

In 2002, Christina received a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees from Arkansas State University. In 2003, she received a Master's degree from the same university. In 2005, Katrakis defended her thesis at the University of Memphis.{{Cite web |last=Sadler |first=Marilyn |date=2009-12-01 |title=Explosive Talent |url=https://memphismagazine.com/Memphis-Magazine/December-2009/Explosive-Talent/ |access-date=2022-10-27 |website=Memphis magazine |language=en-us}} From 2004 to 2006, Katrakis taught drawing, structural drawing/anatomy, painting, and watercolor, defended her thesis, terminal degree in Arts and History (PHD equivalent) at the University of Memphis.{{Cite web |date=2015-04-02 |title=FEPN - European Festival of the Nude Photography - Arles |url=http://www.fepn-arles.com/2011/plus/katrakis-us.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402105614/http://www.fepn-arles.com/2011/plus/katrakis-us.htm |archive-date=2015-04-02 |access-date=2022-10-27 }}

During an interview with the CBC and in social media posts on January 31, 2022, an emotional Katrakis appealed to the West to send soldiers to fight 'shoulder to shoulder' with Ukrainians against Russia. She compared the situation of her fellow Ukrainians to that of the Jews in World War II, saying, 'Brothers and sisters - How is it to watch us die on New Year?! Are you ready to stand shoulder to shoulder against this universal terror or will you simply continue to watch us die defending You?!'

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• 2002 Exhibit after Minoan culture, as a senior graduate, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
• 2004 "Moments of life", "Elisavetgrad" exhibition, Kirovohrad, Ukraine.
• 2008 Personal exhibition in Kyiv, Ukraine, Europe.
• 2010 "Neo-Symbolism: Bridges to the Unknown”, Chicago, IL, USA.
• 2010 “Prism Art Exhibition”, Memphis, USA.
• 2011 “The Little Prince”, The Chocolate cake Museum, Kyiv, Ukraine, Europe.
• 2011 “The picture of the World. Free look”, The Chocolate cake Museum, Kyiv, Ukraine, Europe
• 2011 "The Zone", New York, USA.
• 2011 "11th European festival of the Nude Photography: Glances at the body”, Europe.
• 2011 Personal exhibition in Kyiv, Ukraine, Europe.
• 2011 “Arising” exhibition, Kyiv, Ukraine, Europe.
• 2013 “Art World”, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, Europe.
• 2013 “Moments of Time”, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, Europe.
• 2014 “Ultra Violet Light”, with Igor Kalinauskas.

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Christina Katrakis is married to Roman Kudlay. They have a son.{{Cite web |last=Gadd |first=Chris |title='What can I do?': Former Memphis artist in Ukraine aiding refugees, Nashville filmmaker joined |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/dickson/2022/07/21/ukraine-refugees-aided-former-tn-artist-nashville-filmmaker-helped/10098066002/ |access-date=2022-10-27 |website=The Tennessean |language=en-US}}

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{{cite web|url=http://www.internationalacademyofarts.com/about-us/about-the-founder.html|title=About the Founder|accessdate=March 25, 2015}}

{{cite web|url=http://elisavetart.com/exhibitions/32/mgnoveniya-zhizni.html|title=Moments of life|accessdate=March 25, 2015}}

{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-omR2TnLWEg|title=Igor Kalinauskas – BBC|website=YouTube |accessdate=March 25, 2015}}

{{cite web|url=http://kiev.vgorode.ua/news/dosuh_y_eda/56539/|title=Brad Pitt's favorable person had brought an Exhibit to Kyiv|accessdate=March 25, 2015}}

{{cite web|url=http://sculptor.kiev.ua/|title=Anatoliy Kushch|accessdate=March 25, 2015}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.bagnet.org/news/showbiz/6914|title=Ukrainian from Hollywood brought her paintings in Kyiv|accessdate=March 25, 2015}}

{{cite web|url=http://gazeta.ua/articles/culture-newspaper/_zonu-namalyuvala-pislya-smerti-sina/415661?mobile=true|title=I've painted "Zone" after my son's death|date=December 22, 2011|accessdate=March 25, 2015}}

{{cite web|url=http://igor-kalinauskas.com/ultraviolet-project|title=Ultra Violet light project – Dali, Picasso, Warhol and I|accessdate=March 25, 2015|archive-date=February 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203235306/http://www.igor-kalinauskas.com/ultraviolet-project|url-status=dead}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.fepn-arles.com/2011/plus/katrakis-us.htm|title=Learn more about the artist|accessdate=March 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402105614/http://www.fepn-arles.com/2011/plus/katrakis-us.htm|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=dead}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagonow.com/art-talk-chicago/2010/06/neo-symbolism-bridges-to-the-unknown-at-the-ukrainian-institute-of-modern-art/|title=Neo-symbolism: Bridges to the Unknown at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art|accessdate=March 25, 2015}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.midsouthmagazine.com/upload/201001_MM_Calendar.pdf|title=January midsouthmusts|accessdate=March 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204162136/http://www.midsouthmagazine.com/upload/201001_MM_Calendar.pdf|archive-date=February 4, 2015|url-status=dead}}

{{cite web|url=http://asunews.astate.edu/2002/kushch.htm|title=Kushch to present multi-dimensional senior art exhibit, featuring Minoan culture|accessdate=March 25, 2015}}

{{cite web|url=http://geosymbolism.com/for-art/the-picture-of-the-world-free-look|title=The picture of the world. Free look|accessdate=March 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402180719/http://geosymbolism.com/for-art/the-picture-of-the-world-free-look|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=dead}}

{{cite web|url=http://ukrafoto.com/reportages.php?id=6836&lng=english|title=Hollywood artist Christina Katrakis Opens Her Art Gallery in Kyiv|accessdate=March 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028104023/http://ukrafoto.com/reportages.php?id=6836&lng=english|archive-date=October 28, 2014|url-status=dead}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-21888507.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329163852/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-21888507.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 29, 2015|title=Painful 'Prism' – Touched by Tragedy of Chernobyl, artist's work radiates power|accessdate=March 25, 2015}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.umoloda.kiev.ua/number/1791/171/63544/|title=Sculpture is a hard work|accessdate=March 25, 2015}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.segodnya.ua/life/people/Amerikanka-po-foto-kotoroy-sozdali-Monument-Nezavisimosti-v-Kieve-YA-dolzhna-dostoyno-eto-nesti--460867.html|title=American, who was a prototype for a Liberty Monument in Kyiv: I have to carry it bravely|accessdate=March 25, 2015}}

{{cite web|url=http://kinoyear.ru/video/THp0N3ljcDh0Z0E=|title=Opening of 'Growing up' exhibition|accessdate=March 25, 2015}}

{{cite web|url=http://artsvit.dp.ua/?Gallery&Shows&NewsID=29|title='Moments of time' Exhibition|accessdate=March 25, 2015}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.visionairemedia.com/christina-kushch-katrakis/|title=Visionairemedia-Christina Katrakis|accessdate=December 9, 2019}}

{{cite web|url=https://shawnthompson.tv/kristinakatrakis/|title=MOz Art Pictures - Christina Katrakis|accessdate=December 9, 2019}}

{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/FreedomToCreate/photos/a.159701344059123/159704364058821/?type=3&theater|title=Freedom to Create - The Zone|website=Facebook |accessdate=December 9, 2019}}

{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/Centro.UNESCO.Bologna/photos/a.584037188364078/2274599562641157/?type=3&theater|title=Centro per I'UNESCO di Bologna|website=Facebook |accessdate=December 26, 2019}}

{{Cite web|url=https://www.sdgfund.org/|title=Sustainable Development Goals Fund|website=Sustainable Development Goals Fund}}

{{cite web|url=https://www.foundationforunitednations.org|title=Partnership with the FFUN}}

{{cite web|url=https://www.unesco.bo.it/?fbclid=IwAR38l_DuDxO0UKVVTPFuIqfSz6VB2C_1r1615_6jhWu_O06vskvBCoHeh0E|title=Christina Katrakis has been appointed as an official international coordinator}}

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Category:Living people

Category:Artists from Kyiv

Category:Shevchenko State Art School alumni

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)