Biography  

Cristian Ordóñez (born 1976, Santiago, Chile)  

Cristian Ordóñez is a Chilean multidisciplinary artist based in Toronto. Cristian has over 20 years of experience as a photographer, graphic designer, and lecturer. Cristian graduated with honours in graphic design from DUOC Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile (2000). He has participated in artist and academic-led workshops including the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (now known as WDO) in Santiago, Chile, the online workshop Teaching Art and Design through the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) in 2020, the Winter Solstice Workshop with Mark Steinmetz at The Humid in Athens, Georgia, in 2021, and the Photopolymer Gravure Workshop with Angela Snieder at Open Studio in Toronto in 2022. He has also participated in online courses such as Arts & Politics: Reflections of the 20th Century, with Mónica Salinero, sponsored by the Corporación Cultural USACH in Santiago, Chile. He has been the recipient of significant grants and awards, including the Burtynsky Grant (2021), and he was the yearTK winner of the Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival.  

Cristian Ordóñez’s studio work is with the photographic medium. He explores the inherent capabilities of photography, so the final piece is a bounded series where the images are edited or accompanied by text and they evolve into a collaborative work between graphic designers, publishing houses, and writers. Cristian Ordóñez has self-published nine work series including On Trial (2022), Notes (On Trial) edition 01,02,03 (2021), and Other Voices (2019). His work has been exhibited in Canada and Internationally, including in the solo exhibition Frecuencia (2021) at Galeria Animal in Santiago, Chile. His work has also been part of the collective exhibition The People United (2022–2023) curated by Tamara Toledo, showcased at Sur Gallery, Toronto, and the Workers Art and Heritage Centre in Hamilton, Ontario.