Christiano is a self-taught artist who was born in Anápolis, Goiás, Brazil. His mother passed away when he was a 6 month old baby, and he was later adopted by his grandparents. Despite this, he describes his childhood as being amazing. He was a very active kid who created games for his group of friends and stood out as the leader of the group. His earliest memory as a child is the moment he discovered his love of art. As a toddler, he remembers picking up a crayon that his older sister had left behind.

When she found that Christiano had taken it, she grabbed it away from him, but in that short time he had fallen in love with colors and art and the ability to create.

His love of art and his talent for drawing were evident when he was a student in school. His first passion was comics and cartoons and at age 12 he drew his first comic strip. Later, as a 16-year-old, Christiano saw an opportunity for an adventure, and he dropped out of school to move to northern Brazil and got a job. He wanted to live his own life, do his own thing, and not live by anyone else’s rules. The job did not work out, and he eventually found himself living on the streets and starving.

He would find abandoned parks, outdoor benches and construction sites to sleep in. On occasion, he would sleep in the wrong neighborhood where he would wake up surrounded by Brazilian thugs, who would hassle him for money. He was underage and stranded with no easy way to get back home. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he chose to recognize that the situation was a result of his own decisions. He allowed the consequences to strengthen his character and chose to learn from the experience.

Eventually making his way back home, he returned to school, spent some time in the Brazilian Army and by the age of 20 began working for Brazil’s highly circulated newspaper, Diário da Manhã, doing editorial cartoons and illustrations. He continued to work for other local newspapers and magazines. Realizing that he wanted more opportunities than he could have in Brazil, Christiano chose to immigrate to Canada, He arrived in Toronto on a cold January day in 1994.

He did not have one cent to his name, did not know how to speak English, had no winter coat, no job and no family or friends to turn to. His desire for a better life and the will to succeed as an artist kept him focused. His first years in Canada were a struggle. Early on, he landed a job as a Bricklayer, which he did for more than 10 years. Christiano confronted his weaknesses and discovered his strengths, learned to laugh at his hardships, quickly moving on. He was able to overcome any adversities with a determination to succeed and a desire to make himself a better man. This led to his artwork being published in numerous magazines and newspapers in Toronto.

He also credits his success to a spiritual awakening that he had through meditation and self-hypnosis. It gave him clarity and focus. This experience gave him more confidence and the ability to control his emotions and himself. Christiano devotes much of his life to his art. His endeavors include drawing, sculpting, cartooning, oil and acrylic painting and airbrushing. He is an artist by trade, finds art fun and likes to explore new media and techniques. He is currently working for Global Colors Inc., a studio of visual artists, painters and sculptors who design and produce murals and visual communication projects for audiences on a grand scale. http://www.globalcolors.com

At the present moment, this very moment… Christiano is enjoying the wonderful interaction between mind and the universe. This infinite universe in which we are all one!

Website: http://www.createarts.com/

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