Christo

Date of Birth: June 13, 1935

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Date of Death: May 31, 2020

Biography

Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, known simply as Christo, was a Bulgarian-born artist renowned for his large-scale environmental installations. Born on June 13, 1935, in Gabrovo, Bulgaria, Christo developed an early interest in art, which led him to study at the Sofia Academy of Fine Arts. Fleeing the repressive regime in Bulgaria, he moved to Prague and then to Vienna and Geneva before finally settling in Paris in 1958. It was in Paris that he met Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon, who would become his wife and artistic collaborator. Together, Christo and Jeanne-Claude created monumental, temporary works of art that involved wrapping landmark buildings, landscapes, and industrial objects in fabric. Some of their most famous projects include the wrapping of the Reichstag in Berlin, the Pont-Neuf bridge in Paris, and the installation of thousands of saffron-colored gates in New York’s Central Park. Their works, often years in the making, were self-funded through the sale of Christo’s preparatory sketches and models. Christo’s art defied traditional categorization, combining elements of sculpture, architecture, and the environment. His installations were designed to be ephemeral, existing only for a short time before being dismantled, leaving behind no trace of their presence. Christo continued to create art after Jeanne-Claude’s death in 2009, maintaining their collaborative spirit until his own death on May 31, 2020, in New York City.

5 Interesting Facts about Christo

1. Christo’s first major art project was the wrapping of the Reichstag in Berlin in 1995, which took 24 years of planning.

2. He and Jeanne-Claude were born on the same day, June 13, 1935.

3. Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s projects were entirely self-financed through the sale of their artwork.

4. The “The Gates” project in Central Park involved 7,503 gates with free-flowing fabric, spanning 23 miles of walkways.

5. Christo was known for rejecting corporate sponsorship and government funding for his projects to maintain artistic freedom.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Christo

1. “The work of art is a scream of freedom.”

2. “Our work is a scream of freedom. It is about freedom.”

3. “The important part of our projects is the temporary part.”

4. “We borrow space and create gentle disturbances for a few days.”

5. “The work is not so much the object, but the process of creation and realization.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

The highest net worth Christo achieved was estimated to be around $10 million.

Children

Christo and Jeanne-Claude had one child, a son named Cyril Christo, who was born on May 11, 1960. Cyril is a photographer, filmmaker, and animal rights activist.