Photograph by Clare Welsh
ABOUt
Christopher Payne is an illustrator, designer, and printmaker who grew up on the outskirts of California’s Mojave Desert. Whether in ink, watercolor, screen printing, or other practices, his work focuses on the natural world during a time when its ecosystems are constantly under attack and changing drastically. Acknowledging fate with grace, his work cultivates beauty out of darkness and stresses the importance of balance.
Payne got his start by being actively involved in the underground music scene, and in 2004, he founded Folktale Records, a record label that specialized in limited edition, hand-packaged releases on a variety of formats, which he ran for thirteen years. In 2011, he co-founded Fine Print Press and remains editor-in-chief of its imprint Fine Print, an independent literary and visual arts magazine. In 2021, he co-created Orb.church, a website that crafts a poem based on your natal chart and pairs it with illustrations. He has done book design and illustrative work for Vegetarian Alcoholic Press, Dancing Girl Press, Tilted House and Ghost Peach Press. His artwork has appeared in Birdcoat Quarterly and Reed Magazine; in the television shows Silicon Valley (HBO), Loosely Exactly Nicole (MTV), The Big Door Prize (Apple TV), and Walker (The CW); in the film Frogman; and in galleries throughout the United States and abroad. He currently resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
EXHIBITIONS
2024
Civically Inspired – COOP Gallery – Nashville, TN
New Worlds – The Museum of Human Achievement – Austin, TX
It Came from the Bayou – Mid Main Gallery – Houston, TX
2023
Kite Abomination – The Museum of Human Achievement – Austin, TX
It Came from the Bayou – Mid Main Gallery – Houston, TX
Surreal Salon 15 – Baton Rouge Gallery – Baton Rouge, LA
2021
Nothing Toulouse – The Front – New Orleans, LA
Skulls & Bones – Recspec – Austin, TX
2020
All Boats Rise Together – Recspec – Austin, TX
2019
After Hours – Vesper – Austin, TX
Demons & Devils – Recspec – Austin, TX
Oddities – Terra Toys – Austin, TX
Print Paradise – The Gallery ATX – Austin, TX
Exquisit Corpse – Recspec – Austin, TX
Innuendo – Light Grey Art Lab – Minneapolis, MN
2018
Stay Distracted: Christopher Payne & Dave Kloc – 1650 Gallery – Los Angeles, CA
East – Fine Southern Gentlemen – Austin, TX
Love – Los Angeles County Store – Los Angeles, CA
Extreme Art – New Profanity – Los Angeles, CA
2017
Goodnight Moon – Fold Gallery – Los Angeles, CA
Upside Down – co-LAb Gallery – Los Angeles, CA
2015
Withdrawn – Stories – Los Angeles, CA
faith/void – Lo-Fi Gallery – Seattle, WA
Folktale Residency – Pehrspace – Los Angeles, CA
Utopia – One Of Us Gallery – Los Angeles, CA
2014
DIY Is Dead – Echo Chamber – Los Angeles, CA
Charlyne Yi Presents – Scoops – Los Angeles, CA
2013
DIY Los Angeles – Kunsthalle – São Paulo, Brazil
2011
L.A.’s Got Talent – Sancho Gallery – Los Angeles, CA
STOCKISTS
FEELS SO GOOD • Austin, Texas
RECSPEC GALLERY • Austin, Texas
SAINT COFFEE • New Orleans, Louisiana
STAY HOME FRIEND • Burbank, California
STORIES BOOKS & CAFÉ • Los Angeles, California
Publications
Salt Hill, Issue 52, 2024 (Forthcoming)
Bullshit Lit, Anthology 3, 2024
Reed Magazine, Issue 157, 2024
Offside Santa Fe, Autumn 2023
Birdcoat Quarterly, Issue 5, 2021