Chris Malone is a self-taught artist who has been creating one of a kind works of art for about 15 years. His work can be seen in galleries and private collections in the U.S. and abroad.

Born and raised in the midwest, Chris now lives in the Washington, D.C. area. Chris Malone is a self-taught artist who wants to go beyond seeing dolls as just play things for children, but as spiritual objects of thought that are in balance with our imagination. How far you take it is up to you.

  • 1963: Born in Springfield, Ohio. Currently resides in Washington, DC.
  • 1995-present: Exhibiting artist at Graham Collection, Washington, DC
  • 1996: Uta Brauser's Studio Exhibit, New York, New York
  • 1997: Anniversary special Artist, Grahm Collection, Washington, DC
  • February 1998: Washington Post Featured Artist, "Dolls with a Life of Their Own"
  • January 1998: Dolls Magazine Featured Artist, "Crafty Expressions"
  • 2002-2003 Erotica Show, Belmont Arts East, Washington, DC
  • 2003: American Jazz Museum Featured Artist,"Something for the Soul"
  • 2003-present: Exhibiting artist at Stella Jones Gallery, New Orleans, LA
  • 2004: National Black Fine Art Show, Puck Building, New York, New York
  • 2004-present: Exhibiting artist at Grand-Style Gallery, Baltimore, MD
  • 2005: DC Black Artist, "Hidden Treasures 2005", Washington, DC
  • Autumn 2007: Art Doll Quarterly magazine - Doll Artist Profile
  • 2007: Congo Square Rhythms Exhibition and Festival New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Gallery
  • 2008: Black Matter Zenith Gallery Washington, DC
  • 2008: Figurative Art 2008 calendar

“As a rule, I do not sit down and design a piece. I might get inspired by a song, a piece of fabric or a trip to a museum. Now, I’m getting a lot of guidance from a combination of different tribes of Africa and New Guinea.”

This is the story of how I started making dolls...and this is how I choose to tell it:

In 1992 I had moved from Boston, Mass. to Washington, DC. On my day off from work -- I was a zookeeper at the national zoo -- I was exploring Alexandria, Virginia, and came across a doll shop called "Angie's Doll Boutique." While in the shop looking at "this and that," the owner and proprietor asked if I was there "for my girlfriend, wife, or mother?" I replied I was there for me and that I made dolls. The owner told me that I should bring in some of the things that I had made. I returned a week later with a few of my creations.

Now, before I had gone into that shop in Alexandria, no one had seen any of my larger dolls -- but I trusted these ladies. At that time I was making these black fairies - everybody was making fairies -- but mine were black. So a week later I returned with some of my creations in a box. The ladies liked my work and said that they had never seen any thing like it. And they also told me that this type of doll making was called "one-of-a-kind."

Next, they asked if I would let them take around 10 dolls to a doll show. I was told to come up with a price for the dolls, but not to expect too much, because the weather had been bad and the area was expecting more bad weather.

I showed up on a Friday with a box of around ten 14-inch dolls. I was told by the ladies that it looked like snow and if there were a storm there would not be a show. I told them "no problem," gave them the box of dolls, and went home. That weekend the DC area had a awful snow storm -- it snowed all weekend long. When I went to pick up the dolls, the shop owner told me that the show was cancelled due to the storm, but that all of my dolls had sold to the other vendors. With that said, she handed me a check, and I started to cry.

Since that time my work has taken many, many forms. I am now creating tribal dolls. For years, I have been in search of my ethnic past and looking to the different tribes of Africa and New Guinea has brought a peace in me. I have found that -- in the richness of colors and textures and the placement of fabrics, beads and feathers and studying rituals and ceremonies -- this all can assemble the spirits and, if all is right, you can coax the spirits to dance.

email Christopher Malone