If you’ve looked down the halls of St. Joseph High School or attended the annual art show, you have probably seen the amazing artwork of Christina Ogbotiti. This senior’s artwork will light up your heart and make you wonder what inspired such beauty and talent.

Art teacher Ms. Rommereim has obviously been touched by Christina’s talent, saying, “Christina is an outstanding student [she] produces a lot of work which gets better with each piece of artwork.” Even Christina’s African name, Ebiksaya, which means dance for joy, exemplifies the beauty of her soul that pours out into each of her projects.

This talent hasn’t occurred spontaneously; at the age of six, Christina was given the opportunity to attend art classes at Pratt Institute.

This experience strengthened her drawing skills and boosted her self confidence. At that point, she knew that she would attend the Pratt Institute when she got older; it had become her dream.

Christina even knows what she would like to pursue in the future,

illustration and animation. Illustration and animation are important to her because they bring feelings and emotions to life. Christina feels that it is important to put her feelings and emotions onto paper because a picture says a thousand words.

Looking back, Christina still remembers the first piece of artwork she created. It was a simple project of finger painting that she completed while she was in Pre-Kindergarten. “Now I consider it a mess but back then it was my pride and joy,” she says.

Well, she’s certainly come far from finger painting. Today, her favorite piece of art is her self-portrait that she created with pastels. “I liked the self-portrait because it proves that I have gone far with my art,” Christina said.

Christina’s talent would be nothing without the love, support and motivation that she receives from her family. “My family has always encouraged me. My father would say that I can sell my artwork for a million dollars,” says Christina. “That means a lot to me because parents today don’t really support their children who pursue art as a career.”

Christina’s parents provide her with not only emotional support but with financial support as well. Christina’s mom helps her pay for her art supplies and her dad is willing to take out a loan for her because he knows that art is her passion; for this she is very grateful.

When asked how to deal with challenges and find success in the art industry, Christina said, “As an artist, you’re going to face a few challenges but if you really love what you do and put your heart and soul into it, you will be successful.”

Although Christina has only a vague idea of where her future lies, she has attained enough wisdom through her struggles and experiences to pass her knowledge on.

When asked what advice she would give anyone with a dream, she said, “If you are interested in something you should pursue it. Don’t let anyone stop you if you know it’s going to benefit you in the future.” Those are the wise words spoken by a beautiful soul with the power to transmit the world around her into art.