His paintings revolve around the strength, defiance, and determination of nature and how it creates deep connections in our lives. Many of his public art pieces, especially his mosaic murals, are often centered on multiculturalism, unity, and arts education. He started painting at the age of 12 while visiting relatives in the Istrian region of western Croatia. He spent a lot of time along the Adriatic coast, which is where he first developed a fascination for nature, art, and history. He studied art in New York, at Hofstra University, where he earned a B.A. in Art History, Film, & Fine Arts with studio concentrations in painting, photography, and cinematography. He worked briefly in the field of film and animation after college, but quickly redirected his focus back to painting and Fine Arts. In 2011 he began working with mosaics and started designing public art projects for Downtown Boston. From 2012 to 2016 he got directly involved in arts education and served as an artist in residence for Boston Public Schools, where he taught Fine Arts and Art History and involved hundreds of students in several permanent public art projects.
Christos's family heritage is primarily Greek and Croatian. His father is a Greek immigrant born and raised in a Greek neighborhood of Khartoum in what was then known as The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and his mother is a Croatian immigrant born and raised in Zagreb. His parents met while attending school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His father was studying at Haile Selassie University and his mother was attending a French school (due to her father's assignment as an advisor for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa). After his parents married they moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts so his father could attend graduate school at MIT. Christos was born and raised outside Boston shortly thereafter. His last name, Hamawi, is the legacy of a distant ancestor (presumably) from Hama, Syria, a 3000+ year old city with a longstanding Greek Orthodox community. His most recent Greek ancestors (dating back to the mid-1800's) are from the islands of Crete, Lesvos, & Serifos and his Croatian ancestors are primarily from Zagreb and Zagorje.
Boston City Hall: "Inner Strength" Oil on Canvas 6ft x 3 ft. 2014 - Present Permanent Collection, 5th floor
Boston Children's Hospital: "Feeling Grounded" Acrylic on Maple Panel 6ft x 3ft. Fall 2015 - Permanent Collection, Main Entrance
"Urban Oasis" 95 NW 1st Ave. Miami, FL Fall 2017 35ft x 10ft painted mural
Northampton Square, Boston MA: "Natural Distractions" A Selection of Custom Prints. Fall 2015 - Permanent Collection, Main Entrance
Josiah Quincy School & Community Center, Boston MA: "Dragon of the Earth" Mosaic Sculpture. Spring 2014
Josiah Quincy School & Community Center, Boston MA: "The Living Seasons" Mosaic Mural. Fall 2013
Jook Sing Cafe, Boston MA: "Golden Bamboo" 25ft long Mural in Chinatown Winter 2015
Grew Elementary School, Hyde Park Boston MA: "Natural Portals" Acrylic on Steel Panels. Fall 2012 - Permanent Collection / School Grounds
Westin Copley Hotel, Boston MA: "Rising Above" 75ft+ Mural for corporatate wing Spring 2010
"Miami Sky" - Live Painting during 2018 Art Basel - Gaythering Hotel, Miami Beach, FL Fall 2018
"Natural Distractions" Solo exhibition of nature paintings. Arclinea Boston July 2008
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