Biography - Christopher Durham
Christopher Durham was born in Hopewell, Virginia. Growing up on a small farm, he developed three loves early on - animals, acting and art. Upon graduating from the College of William and Mary, he immediately took off for the bright lights of New York City to pursue a career in acting. It turned out to be a good match. He immediately found work in theatre and television. Twenty five years later, he still makes his living in the acting field having guest starred on “Rescue Me,” ”Third Watch,” ”Law and Order,” “Law and Order Criminal Intent,” ”Law and Order SVU” and “Kidnapped” among others. He has also taken the opportunity to develop his other interests.
In 1994, he celebrated his first gallery exhibition at CFM Gallery in SoHo. Although he works mostly in pen/ink and watercolor to create his paintings, some of his most detailed and elaborate work involves the use of ostrich eggs. Using the eggshells as the canvas and inspiration from the famed Faberge eggs of Russia, Christopher has created amazing works of art from these large eggs. First, each egg is cut and hinged so that it functions as a box as well as art. He then uses acrylic paint, technical pens, semi-precious stones, Austrian crystals, and 22 carat gold leaf to provide incredible detail. Each egg is handcrafted and will vary slightly. Due to the labor intensive nature of his work, he only creates up to thirty pieces a year. Mr. Durham’s art has been featured in the famed windows of Van Clef and Arpels jewelers in New York City as well as Elle Décor, M and Victoria magazines and The New York Times. He divides his time between New York City and his farmhouse in the Catskill Mountains.