Christian Bachez (b. 2001) is a painter, muralist, digital artist, and photographer from Alphabet City, New York. His work is rooted in community engagement, cultural critique, and storytelling. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross with a B.A. in Psychology and Visual Arts, a dual foundation that informs his approach to public art.
Christian’s works teeter between celebratory exuberance and social commentary. His use of bold colors, layered textures, and human-centered narratives speaks to themes of identity, preservation, empathy, and social inequities. Whether painting in his hometown, working in underrepresented communities, or creating large-scale murals abroad, he aims to amplify local voices and histories.
Deeply inspired by the cultural richness of Alphabet City and the communities he connects with globally, Christian sees public art as a catalyst for dialogue and empowerment. His work transforms spaces into platforms for storytelling, urging viewers to engage with the world, and each other, more thoughtfully.
(Photo courtesy of Michael Ivins)
Artist Statement
I create art that celebrates underrepresented communities while critiquing the systems that marginalize them. My work spans murals, photography, and abstract painting, each medium offering a unique way to address the inequalities that permeate society. Through my art, I bring attention to the issues that disproportionately affect working-class people, people of color, and those on the fringes of our social systems.
In my murals, I collaborate with communities creating public art that is vibrant and celebratory. My murals don’t directly depict the struggles of inequality or homelessness; instead, they serve as a platform to empower underrepresented voices and celebrate the people they represent."
Through film photography, I capture the vibrancy of working-class locals around NYC. Each portrait reflects their individuality, a moment of beauty and strength within the everyday. These portraits are subtle commentaries on the struggles and resilience of people who, like me, navigate the challenges of life without much financial security. It’s about highlighting the person, not the struggle, and making sure they’re seen for who they truly are.
In my paintings, the social issues I care about, from mental health to systemic inequality, are explored through abstract forms, layered textures, and bright color choices. These works communicate the urgency of these topics, with the chaos and intensity of the compositions reflecting the systems of oppression they critique.
My work is both a celebration of resilience and a critique of the systems that perpetuate inequality. My goal is to spark dialogue, challenge the status quo, and make space for those whose stories deserve to be told.
Experience in the Arts
Education
2023 B.A., Cum Laude, Visual Arts & Psychology, College of the Holy Cross
2019 Xavier High School
2015 Brooklyn Jesuit Prep
Grants/Awards
2024 Lower East Side Young Artists of Color Fourth Arts Block (FABnyc) Fellowship.
2024 Fulbright U.S. Student Program Semi-Finalist.
2023 Holy Cross Psychology Department, George J. Allen Ph.D., ‘65 Psychology Award.
2023 Holy Cross Student Leadership Awards, Saint Ignatius of Loyola Award.
2023 MASS MoCA’s Assets for Artists and Greater Worcester Community Foundation Business of Art Cohort.
2023 Green Fund Award for Kimball Floor Decal Project.
2023 Ignite Fund Award for Eastern Sociological Society Conference, Baltimore, MD.
2022 Holy Cross ODEI Good Trouble Program Fund for Jennessa Burks Artist Talk and Exhibition.
2022 Green Fund Award for Frondescence: A Sustainability and Environmental Awareness show.
2022 National Endowment for the Arts and Worcester Arts Council Project Grants for Individuals for the Quinsigamond Village Elementary School Mural Project.
2022 Worcester Arts Council Project Grant for the Worcester Public Library Mural Project.
2022 Ignite Fund Award for Where is Worcester? Project, Worcester, MA.
2021 Ignite Fund Award for Who is Worcester? Project, Worcester, MA.
2021 Weiss Summer Research Project Fund through Holy Cross’ JD Power Center, Worcester, MA.
Exhibition Record
2024 Group Exhibition, "Material Needs 2024”, ArtsWorcester, Worcester, MA.
2024 Group Exhibition, “Community Care: Stewarding Your Neighborhood”, LES Ecology Center, New York, NY.
2024 Group Exhibition, “i’ve been meaning to tell you”, FABnyc, New York, NY.
2024 Group Exhibition, “NYC Underground”, Atelier 111 and The Muse Gallery, Bronx, NY.
2023/2024 Solo Show, Assorted Works by Christian Bachez, The Jonathan R. Duchatellier Memorial Gallery, Worcester, MA.
2024 Group Exhibition, “RB1” The Science of Eyes, The Lab Central, Cambridge, MA.
2023 Group Exhibition, The Living Dead Gallery, The Living Artist’s Gallery, Williamsburg, BK.
2023 Group Exhibition, The Last Supper, The Living Artist’s Gallery, Williamsburg, BK.
2023 Group Exhibition, Essence: Works from the Senior Concentration Seminar, Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery, College of the Holy Cross.
2023 Group Exhibition, El Salon’s Mi Orgullo Show, Fitchburg State University Gallery.
2023 Group Exhibition, 19th Annual College Show, ArtsWorcester.
2022 Group Exhibition, Creatures of Worcester, Electric Haze Worcester.
2022 Group Exhibition, Bouncy House Time Machine, Jean MacDonough Arts Center.
2022 Group Exhibition, Playing Games, ArtsWorcester.
2022 Group Exhibition, ENDANGERED, Jean MacDonough Arts Center.
2022 Group Exhibition, 18th Annual College Show, ArtsWorcester.
2021 Group Exhibition, El Salon’s TAKE SPACE, Jean MacDonough Arts Center.
2021 Solo Exhibition, Who is Worcester Display, ArtsWorcester’s North Corridor Gallery.
2021 Solo Exhibition, Who/Where is Worcester? Show, Jean MacDonough Arts Center.
Commissions
2025, City of Worcester Cultural Coalition WooBox Art Project, Youth Poet Laureates x3.
2024, Holy Cross Office of Student Involvement, Live Painting, Family Weekend.
2024, L’Attitude Gallery/Umass Memorial Health, Worcester, MA Photography Project
2024, Pernet Family Health Services, Worcester, MA Murals x2
2024, Walmart Inc. and NOW Art, Dallas Webb Chapel Entrance Mural
2023, Worcester Public Library, Frances Perkins Branch Mural
2023, Office of Sustainability and Dining Services, College of the Holy Cross, Kimball Dining Hall Floor Decal Project.
2023, Pub Rats Poster Design, College of the Holy Cross, Student Government Association.
2023, Holy Cross Office of Student Involvement, PRIDE Office Mural.
2022, El Buen Samaritano Food Pantry, Mural project.
2022, Working 4 Worcester, Mural and student volunteer coordination.
2022, Kommon Sense Co., Sticker Design.
2021, Redemption Rock Brewery Co., Crowler Label Design.
Related Experience
2024, Brooklyn Jesuit Prep Young Alumni Board Paint and Sip Fundraiser Event, Facilitator/Artist.
2024, DOT Street Mural Artist Assistant for Dennis Darkeem.
2024, Teaching Artist at NYCHA Family Day Event, LES, NYC.
2024, Teaching Artist at Kintecoying Now Event, East Village, NYC x3
2021-2023, President of the Student Art Society, College of the Holy Cross
2022, Artist Assistant for Shoe Painting at the Nativity School of Worcester.
2022, Muralist Assistant and Collaborator for Ryan Gardell.
2022, Live Muralist for Holy Cross’ Counseling Center’s Fresh Check Day, Worcester, MA.
2022, Gallery Attendant at Artifakt Supply, Worcester, MA.
2022, Muralist Assistant for Kansas City artists ITRA Icons.
2021, Collaborative mural with Grhimm Xavier for POW! WOW! Worcester 2021.
Lectures/Artist Talks
2023, Artist Talk, Brooklyn Jesuit Prep Gala, New York Athletic Club, New York, NY.
2023, Artist Talk on Photography, Reseen: New Scene at the Worcester Historical Museum.
2021-2023, POW! WOW! Worcester Mural Tour Guide.
2023, Psychology Poster Presentations, “Examining Hierarchical Stimulus Perception in the Pigeon’s Lateral Visual Field” and
2023, Psychology Poster Presentations, “Motivation in the Classroom: Integrating Students’ Voices with Psychological Theory to Understand Motivation in High School Math”.
2023, Speaker, Scholarship in Action Roundtable on Community Engaged Research, Academic Conference, College of the Holy Cross.
2023, Research Project Presentation: “Painting walls and planting plots: Environmental justice and the “producers” of nature in Worcester, MA”, Eastern Sociological Society Conference, Baltimore, MD.
2023, Artist Talk, Essence: Works from the Senior Concentration Seminar, Academic Conference, College of the Holy Cross.
2023, Presentation in Latin American art Montserrat Course on the work of Jennessa Burks, College of the Holy Cross.
2022, Research Project Presentation: “Painting walls and planting plots: Environmental justice and the “producers” of nature in Worcester, MA”, Academic Conference, College of the Holy Cross.
2021, ENVS 118 Research Presentations, College of the Holy Cross.
