KRISTEL AKA KRIZTONIAN Artist Statement
To me, art is not a hobby, a trend, or even a choice—it’s a spiritual practice.
It’s the way I process the world, reclaim my ancestry, and speak back to systems that were never designed for someone like me to thrive in. My work is rooted in storytelling. My people have always used art to teach, to pass on knowledge, and to survive. I see my practice as a continuation of that legacy, a visual language of truth-telling, challenge, and healing.
I’ve worked as a creative director and multimedia artist across animation, music videos, tech, and video games. I’ve built brands, businesses, and platforms from the ground up. But somewhere along the way, I lost touch with my body and spirit. Burnout wasn’t just a buzzword—it was a breakdown. My body gave out before I did. I found myself in a hospital, battling an autoimmune condition, anxiety, and depression during one of the most isolating periods in modern history. I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t drive. I was on a heart monitor, watching the world shut down while I was also trying to hold myself together.
Those years taught me more about art than any creative campaign ever could.
Now, my art is a tool for teaching and transformation. It’s where I bring together all I’ve learned from coaching other burnt-out creatives, from building wellness frameworks rooted in neuroscience and ancestral knowledge. I believe beauty is a neurological balm, that surrounding ourselves with intention and color can literally rewire how we think, feel, and survive. My practice today is as much about emotional impact as it is aesthetic execution. It challenges, it surprises, and it refuses to conform.
I take pride in being one of the few Latina creative directors in my field, and I don’t take that lightly. My work bridges commercial, experimental, and deeply personal forms, always political, always rooted in truth. I make art to remind people, especially other BIPOC artists, that we don’t have to assimilate to be seen.
We are the culture. We are the future.
-Kriz