J. Christopher is an African-American artist originally from Birmingham, Alabama, raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and now based in Long Beach/Los Angeles, California. He pursued his formal education at Howard University, where he began refining his craft across multiple media. Deeply inspired by his younger brother Evan, who lives with chromosome 1 deletion, J. Christopher uses his platform to advocate for and celebrate differently-abled individuals. He coined the guiding ethos of his work, “Beauty Amongst the Thorns,” highlighting resilience, dignity, and the intrinsic value found in diverse human experiences. J. Christopher’s artistic path has been shaped by both lived experience and formal training. His upbringing in the American South and later at Howard University laid the foundation for a practice that blends oil painting and digital art into socially conscious portraiture . Motivated by his brother's journey, he began to create deeply empathetic work that reframes perceived limitations as sources of strength and beauty. His exhibitions—such as Regal Resilience at UTA Artist Space and the 2024 Beauty Amongst the Thorns at Exhibit A Gallery in Beverly Hills—explore themes of disability, albinism, vitiligo, monocular vision, mental-health, and limb differences. These series underscore his belief that royalty, grace, and humanity transcend physical norms and societal expectations.