Christian Noelle Charles
Christian Noelle Charles (b. 1993, Syracuse, New York, USA)
is an interdisciplinary artist working between New York and Glasgow, Scotland. Her artistic practice is an ongoing dialogue with the self, a necessary confrontation with the internal landscapes of anxiety, memory, and becoming. The constant stream of visual and emotional information she processes daily is driven by the belief that self-avoidance is futile and direct engagement with one's inner world is essential for growth. As a Black woman whose life and creative practice bridge these cultures, Charles's work interrogates belonging, self-worth, and the intricate intersections of race, gender, and community. This journey of self-reflection is ongoing, marked by distinct periods of personal growth from embracing her physical form (2016) to understanding her upbringing's formative impact (2021), to realizing her profound connection to Scotland (2023), and a current focus on the essentiality of rest and patience for meaningful transformation (2025). These moments of looking inward are not self-indulgence, but courageous acts of self-discovery.
Central to Charles's exploration are the distinct yet complementary reflective practices of printmaking, performance, and video. Printmaking offers a solitary, meditative path, its repetitive nature demanding focused presence and creating a sanctuary for meticulous examination. Each print can be a visual manifestation of her underlying anxieties and insecurities, and importantly, a tangible, liberating release that fosters mental freedom. Performance, in contrast, is an outwardly engaged, intuitive exchange profoundly shaped by the audience. It calls for an offering of oneself and an embrace of vulnerability that can lead to a temporary transcendence and a different kind of self-awareness, with reflection often sparked by the subsequent processing of that shared experience.
Charles's international practice is informed by her education, including an MFA from The Glasgow School of Art (2018), a BFA from The Cooper Union (2016), She has undertaken significant residencies, such as the John Florent Stone Printmaking Residency at Edinburgh Printmakers (2022) and the Center For Somewhere, Take Me Somewhere residency in Johannesburg, South Africa (2023). Her work has been exhibited widely, with solo shows including WAIT A MINUTE?!! at Glasgow Print Studio (2025), NURTURE | TURTLE PARK at Tramway (2024), and WHAT A FEELING | ACT I at Edinburgh Printmakers (2023); she has also featured in group exhibitions internationally, from Athens to Bangkok and Taiwan. A recipient of the Jerwood New Work Fund (2023) and shortlisted for the Margaret Tait Award (2021), her art is held in public collections including the Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, and the National Gallery of Scotland. Ultimately, Charles's art is an invitation to see, feel, pause, and reflect, aiming to create environments where self-expression is affirmed and her evolving declaration of a fluid, layered identity can be seen fully and authentically.
Pronouns: She/Her.
Lived Experience
Hi, I’m Christian Noelle Charles. I am an interdisciplinary artist currently splitting my time, heart, and creative practice between New York and Glasgow, Scotland.
Growing up in Syracuse, New York, creativity was in my bloodstream. My mother ran a dance studio where I spent my early years developing a deep awareness of movement and my physical form, while my father, a radio DJ, filled our home with music and storytelling. Those formative spaces shaped how I see the world and laid the foundation for my current practice, which flows between printmaking, performance, and video.
My work is essentially an ongoing dialogue with myself—a necessary confrontation with my internal landscapes of anxiety, memory, and the beautiful, messy process of becoming. Navigating life as a Black woman bridging American and Scottish cultures, my art interrogates belonging, self-worth, and the intricate intersections of race, gender, and community. I firmly believe that self-avoidance is futile; looking inward and engaging directly with our inner worlds are courageous acts of self-discovery, not mere self-indulgence.
Over the years, my journey has been marked by distinct chapters of growth. In 2016, I was heavily focused on embracing my physical form and identity. By 2021, I was unpacking the profound impact of my upbringing, and by 2023, I was celebrating the deep, grounding connections and communities I’ve built since moving to Scotland. Most recently, my focus has shifted toward the radical essentiality of rest, patience, and solitude as tools for meaningful transformation.
The different mediums I use offer me distinct ways to process the constant stream of visual and emotional information I encounter daily. Printmaking is my sanctuary—a solitary, meditative, and highly repetitive practice that gives me the mental freedom to meticulously examine my insecurities and release them into something tangible. Performance, on the other hand, is an outwardly engaged, vulnerable exchange with an audience that often leads to a shared, temporary transcendence.
Ultimately, my art is an invitation. Whether you are stepping into an exhibition designed to feel like a lively, familiar beauty salon or engaging with a quiet self-portrait, I want to create environments where you are encouraged to pause, feel, and reflect. My goal is to build spaces where self-expression is affirmed, where we can celebrate joy and resilience, and where our fluid, layered identities can be seen fully and authentically.
