Cristina Burns is an American-Italian visual artist, born in Spain and based in Naples, Italy. Renowned for her conceptual and surreal photography, Burns delves into the intricate dynamics of human behavior in a rapidly evolving world. Deeply committed to social causes, she juxtaposes playful, childlike elements to awaken the "inner child," encouraging curiosity and introspection. Through her work, she addresses critical issues such as mental health, environmental sustainability, gender violence, and the hidden costs of consumer culture, aiming to inspire meaningful reflection and positive change.
Passionate about surrealism, Burns uses her camera to blend reality with imagination, crafting a distinctive form of neosurrealism. Her vibrant, striking compositions pair cheerful aesthetics with deeper, often unsettling truths, challenging viewers to confront contemporary issues and their own choices.Burns has presented her work in numerous solo exhibitions, including CandyLand at the Palazzo delle Arti Napoli (PAN) in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Tourism of Naples; Escapism at the Royal Palace of Carditello, Caserta; Dulce Engaño at the Centro Cultural Alfonso X El Sabio, El Puerto de Santa María, Spain, sponsored in partnership with the City of El Puerto de Santa María; and currently Dulce Engaño at the Museo del Revellín, Ceuta, Spain.
Burns was commissioned by SICPRE (Italian Society of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery) to create the artwork "Lost Venus", symbolizing the fight against female genital mutilation. This work has been exhibited at the Italian Senate, Federico II University in Naples, and other academic institutions. Additionally, her photograph "Candy Girl" was selected as the image for an event honoring Women Victims of the Mafia, organized by the Lombardy Region.
Burns is the recipient of the prestigious Raffaele Pezzuti per l’Arte Award and is part of the permanent art collection of the Naples Metro system. Her work is on permanent display at the Vanvitelli Metro Station alongside internationally renowned artists such as Anish Kapoor.
Her work has been featured in prominent group exhibitions, including at the Leica Gallery and BASE, Milan (in collaboration with Vogue Italia); the Arte Laguna Prize, Venice; Casa de la Cultura Teodoro Cuesta, Spain; the Koehnline Museum of Art and The Mosesian Center for the Arts, USA; "Food Visions" at the Monumental Complex of San Paolo, Parma; "Center Forward" at the Center for Fine Art Photography, Colorado, USA; the York Gallery for the Aesthetica Art Prize, UK; and the Mall Galleries for the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year, London.
Burns’s art has been featured in international publications such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, and El Mundo. Known for blending aesthetic beauty with social critique, her work continues to captivate and challenge audiences worldwide.
EXHIBITIONS
2025
Solo Exhibition Dulce Engaño - Museo de Ceuta, Ceuta,  Spain 

2024
Solo Exhibition Dulce Engaño - Museo de Ceuta, Ceuta,  Spain 
Center Forward for Fine Art Photography, Colorado, USA
"Food Visions" Monumental Complex of San Paolo, Parma, Italy
Solo Exhibition Dulce Engaño - Centro Cultural Alfonso X El Sabio, El Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain 
Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year - Mall Galleries, London, Uk
"Lost Venus", University of Palermo, Italy
Aesthetica Art Prize, York Art Gallery, UK
"Feast: Food Represented in  the Visual Arts", The Mosesian Center for the Arts, Waterfront, USA
 "Women in Photography", Glasgow Gallery of Photography, UK
2023
"Don't Drag Me Down", Koehnline Museum of Art, Oakton College, USA
"Lost Venus", Italian Senate, Rome, Italy
"Laguna Art Prize", Arsenale di Venezia, Italy
2022
"Lost Venus", University of Padova, Palazzo Bo, Italy
In The Locked Garden, Tel Aviv, Israel
2021
Solo Exhibition "Escapism", Foundation Royal Palace of Carditello, Italy
"Ten paciencia, mujer, que eres oscura: el mito patriarcal de las mujeres enfermas" Casa de la Cultura “Teodoro Cuesta” Mieres, Spain
2019
"Lost Venus", University of Naples “Federico II, Italy
"Inside Me", Bourbon Tunnel, Naples, Italy
"Sweet Art", Lemon Frame Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
2018
CandyLand solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, "PAN", Naples, Italy 
Artwork to represent the Memorial Day of Mafia Victims, Regione Lombardia - Palazzo Pirelli, Milan, Italy
2017
Part of the art collection of Naples Metro, in permanent exhibition, Vanvitelli Station, Italy
Art Installation for ANM and the City of Naples, Italy, permanent exhibition Funicolare Centrale
"Premio Raffaele Pezzuti per l'Arte", group show exhibition, sponsored by the City of Naples, ANM and Motor Village
"A World of Harmony", Vogue Italia and Natuzzi, Photovogue Festival, Milan, Italy
Contemporary Photography Exhibition, CICA Museum - South Korea
Women Artists -  Lemon Frame Gallery, Tel Aviv
2016
Luxembourg art fair
PhotoVogue Festival Exhibition Huawei and Vogue Italia, Base Milano
Lemon Frame art Gallery, Tel Aviv
22 Artists mad for Naples, Castel dell'Ovo, Group, Napoli
2015
45 Frames from PhotoVogue, (Group) Leica Gallery, Milan, Italy
Alice and The Beanstalk Gallery, (Group), Tokyo, Japan
Sacripante Gallery, (Group), Rome, Italy
2014
An Iconic View of White - Vogue Italia and Porsche Design - (Group), Milan, Italy
Hive Gallery , (Group), Los Angeles, USA
F+ Gallery, (Group), Santa Ana, USA
Sm'Art Aix , Aix-en-Provence, France
Affordable Art Fair, Milan, Italy
Art3F , Nantes, France
Art for a Cure, (Group), Rome, Italy
2013
Affordable Art Fair, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Swab Art Fair, Barcelona, Spain
Affordable Art Fair, Stockholm, Sweden
Solo show "Freaky love" Temporary Art Gallery, Naples, Italy
"Notti d'Arte" Video projection and exhibition,  for the city of Naples, Italy
PUBLICATIONS AND FEATURES
Vogue.it
Forbes
La Cucina Italiana
Il Mattino
La Repubblica
Foto Cult
Ilas Magazine
Plastik Magazine, issue 31
Anthology Anatomy Rocks
HIGGS  - cover - issue 2 
San Francisco MOMA 
"Not For Print", issue n°2, WeTransfer and Ello
Premio "Raffaele Pezzuti per L'Arte" catalogue, City of Naples
Photo Vogue Festival Book Vogue Italia and Huawei
San Pellegrino
El Mundo
Vanity Fair
Fine Dining Lovers
Clutter Magazine
Style.it
Espresso.it
Espresso Napoletano 
MetropoliRoma
Panorama
AWARDS AND HONORS
2024
Center Forward for Fine Art Photography,  Director's Honourable Mention
Aesthetica Art Prize Longlisted
Pink Lady Food Photographer Award, finalist in Women Photography category
2023
Laguna Art Prize 2023
International Photography Awards, Honourable Mention for  "Delusional Parasitosis" series.
2021
International Photography Awards, Honourable Mention for  "Temporal Intersections" series.
2017
Winner of "Premio Raffaele Pezzuti per l'Arte"
2016
Included in the 10 most representative Still Life photographers of Photo Vogue Italia
International Photography Awards, Honourable Mention for "Through the Mirror" series.
2015
Included in the top 100 of Photo Vogue Italia of 2015 Photo of the day on Vogue.it