Cristabel Reynosa-Martinez (she/her) is an Indigenous Mexican Immigrant, living and working in the Chicago Area. Brought here as a child, Cris has been in love with every part of Chicago and the possibilities the city presents since first arriving on Fourth of July. Seeing the vivid colors of the fireworks displays, finally feeling her mother’s embrace (after a year apart), and smelling the scent of her mother’s Herbal Essence’s rose shampoo—she recalls this moment as one of her fondest and most influential memories. The fascination that it brought has stood as the basis for the experiences she works to create today.

With an interest in the body’s relation to the senses, space, and material, Cris has spent years creating captivating retail experiences that are rooted in storytelling; and, is now applying that knowledge to art and design. Focusing on experiential displays, sensory based experiences, and handling elements with care—she has worked with a variety of brands including Sephora, Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's, serving in roles that include, Color artist, visual merchandising, merchandising, styling, administration. Recently, Cristabel has worked as a studio assistant, and now serves as the Art Director of The Black Bloom Project.

Between her cultural and professional backgrounds, Cris cites her grandmothers’ sewing and spiritual rituals as her biggest influences. Using their early teachings as groundwork for her own practices, she now explores a variety of mediums (especially textile and fiber-based materials) to help people address their healing, and create interactions that give them new insight or perspective on life. When addressing her works, Cris states that she wants others to see life in a different light, to see the good above the bad, and to make them stop for just a second in stillness—stillness from all the chaos around life. “I’m curious to discover people’s stories and the impact that color, smells, touch has on them. I think it will help them reflect in a way that can help them heal, heal in a way of experience through self-reflection”.