The Somatic Artist
About Dr. Christina
Welcome to my Website!
I'm so glad you found my art. I am a visual artist, a psychotherapist/social worker, researcher and advocate who has always found meaning through creativity. I paint primarily in acrylic, exploring themes of embodiment through human and wildlife forms. Both human bodies and wildlife tell stories of resilience, instinct, and survival. They hold the imprints of our experiences, our healing, and our capacity to adapt. My art is an exploration of that living language of the body — how it carries what words often cannot.
On this site, you’ll find a collection of original artworks and prints. Each piece rooted in the deep connection between the inner and outer worlds that we all as beings experience.
THIS IS NEVER THAT
Illustrations by Dr. Christina Hyland found in the book: "This is Never That" by Jae Brine
This is Never That is a gentle, practical guide for parents and caregivers who want to better understand and support their trans or non-binary child. Throughout this book, you will find paintings by Dr. Christina Hyland - pieces inspired by animals who naturally express gender diversity, fluidity, or transformation in the wild. We chose these creatures as they remind us of something simple and often forgotten: Nature has always held space for more than two ways of being. So can we. These artworks grew out of conversations about identity, belonging, and the quiet beauty of becoming yourself.
CURRENT PROJECTS
In 2026, I will be working in collaboration with the Whale Institute of New Brunswick to support their critical efforts to rescue and protect North Atlantic right whales—one of the most endangered large whale species on Earth. Today, fewer than 360 individuals remain, with fewer than 70 breeding females, placing the species at an alarming risk of extinction. The greatest threats they face are human-caused, particularly fishing gear entanglements and vessel strikes, which often result in chronic injury, prolonged suffering, and death. Beyond their vulnerability, whales are essential to human survival: they play a vital role in regulating ocean ecosystems and climate health, from supporting marine food webs to enhancing carbon sequestration through the whale pump and nutrient cycling. North Atlantic right whales, in particular, embody qualities of profound stillness, presence, and consciousness. Their slow movements, close social bonds, and enduring resilience invite us into a different relationship with time—one rooted in awareness, patience, and interdependence. As part of this collaboration, I will be creating twelve paintings, each honoring a specific, named right whale, to illuminate their individual stories of resilience and heartbreak and to remind us that their survival is inseparable from our own. Check out their website at: https://www.canadianwhaleinstitute.ca/
GET IN TOUCH
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