Cristina Schek

b. Transylvania

Cristina Schek is the photosensitive kind. She thinks in pictures; her imagination is always in focus. A Transylvanian Surrealist now rooted in London, Schek crafts conceptual work that explores identity and the nature of representation, with literature, films, and art history as her muse. Completely self-taught in photography and far removed from traditional or documentary styles, the camera is merely a tool for the artist. Her true passion lies in storytelling—venturing into the unknown, layering, and crafting images into creative compositions.

Schek's portfolio is celebrated on a global scale, highlighted by prestigious exhibitions and art fairs such as the London Art Fair, Art Miami, NY Art Fair, LA Art Show. Her notable achievements include Young Masters Focus On The Female Art Created During Lockdown Award 2021 for her work 'Florence Lightingale', receiving recognition at Phillips Auction House with the BFAMI Art Exhibition 2022 and winning the W4 Fourth Plinth with 'The Ceiling In The Sky' monumental 4x4m public art installation in 2023. This prestigious recognition follows in the footsteps of Sir Peter Blake, whose artwork was the inaugural work on display.

Description/commentary

"With this artwork, The Ceiling in the Sky, we go back in time to that pure wild wood that will eventually be urbanised and populated by some of the greatest creative minds in history. Within the canopy of the forest, we can see projections of their future imaginations. This is the fertile forest floor from where the creations of many artists could grow tall and strong, reaching up to the sky." Cristina Schek

Literature/Press

'Ceiling In The Sky' by Cristina Schek chosen Winner of The Fourth Plinth for W4, unveiled by Dame Siân Phillips in April 2023. Borrowed from the Fourth Plinth concept in Trafalgar Square - The Chiswick W4th Plinth is a rolling programme of temporary public art curated by Abundance London since September 2019. The first artwork to be displayed was a collage of music hall entertainers at the Empire Theatre, by artist Sir Peter Blake, a long time Chiswick resident. Every six months the large image, 4x4m, on the TfL brick wall of the railway embankment at Turnham Green Terrace will change, showcasing an exciting artwork, short-listed by Abundance London and voted on by the public.

Cristina Schek has been honored with two prestigious accolades at the Young Masters Awards 2025: First Prize in the People’s Choice Award, generously sponsored by The Brownhill Insurance Group, as well as a Highly Commended recognition in the Rudolph Blume Foundation Acquisition Award.

Cristina Schek is represented internationally by Cynthia Corbett Gallery.