Chris Arnold

Chris Arnold is an American artist and illustrator whose work explores the deep connections between nature, environmental awareness, and conservation. He wants his paintings to tell the story of nature by being the visual voice of animals, plants, and the environments in which they exist. Influenced by cartoonists, Impressionists, and the Art Nouveau movement, Arnold’s work blends bold, expressive forms with intricate natural elements, creating compositions that are both playful and thought-provoking. His art is a reflection of his passion for environmental consciousness, using visual storytelling to inspire curiosity and action. Whether painting in his studio, his garden or immersed in the wild, he seeks to capture the spontaneity, beauty, and resilience of the natural world.

Arnold received an MFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design and a BFA from The University of Missouri, Columbia, MO. Arnold’s work has been extensively exhibited with notable works created for the Ron Finley Project, House Beautiful and the U.S. National Park Service. The artist lives and works in Chicago, IL.

MFA Illustration (2007), Savannah College of Art & Design, Savannah, Georgia

BFA Studio Art (2002), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS (2000-2025)

Laughlin Gallery, Highland Park, Illinois
Houska Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri
One River School, Evanston, Illinois
Virgil Catherine Gallery, Hinsdale, Illinois
Bologna Fiere, Bologna, Italy
Canessa Gallery, San Francisco, California
State Street Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
Chico Art Center, Chico, California
Goebel & Co, St. Louis, Missouri
Rotofugi Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
The Merchandise Mart, Chicago, Illinois
Castle Fitzjohns Gallery, New York, New York
Sullivan Galleries, Chicago, Illinois
567 Gallery, New York, New York
Gallery Guichard, Chicago, Illinois
Moot Gallery, Hong Kong, China
Hubner Bokform Gallery, Halmstad, Sweden
DePaul University Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
Art Centre, Silkeborg, Denmark
Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
The Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, California
Walsh Gallery, South Orange, New Jersey
The Gallery of C.U.N.Y., Staten Island, New York
Black Walnut Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
The Creative Center, New York, New York
Harrington College of Design, Chicago, Illinois
Intersection Gallery, San Francisco, California
Artetica Gallery, Rome, Italy
Rennard Gallery, Lacoste, France
Red Gallery, Savannah, Georgia
W. Stick Gallery, Santa Monica, California
Gallery 108,...