Cristian Rios was born in El Paso, Texas. This southwest upbringing has
influenced Cristian’s outlook on all aspects of life, including art and design.

Cristian graduated from Gadsden Highschool in Anthony, New Mexico
where he developed his fine arts skills. During this period Cristian focused
on portraits using pencil and charcoal, although he experimented with
other mediums and subject matter.

After graduating from Highschool, Cristian attended NMSU in Las Cruces,
New Mexico. These years saw Cristian master the charcoal medium
and begin using oil paint. Subject matter was mainly still lifes.

In 2004 Cristian transferred to the College for Creative Studies to pursue
a career in Industrial Design. Here Cristian was exposed to various
design desciplines and new mediums. This experience allowed Cristian
to learn various new skills and tools including various software.

Cristian graduated from CCS in May of 2008 with a BFA in Industrial Design.