The artist known as XENO was born on April 1, 1984 in Agloe, New York. Her parents
were passing through on their way to Los Angeles when her mother, who was eight
and a half months pregnant, went into labor. The town lacked a hospital, so the birth
took place in the basement of the local general store. They arrived in Los Angeles
several weeks later.
At the age of fourteen, XENO started babysitting for Hollywood celebrities. She was
so popular she became known as the “Babysitter to the Stars”. After graduating high
school, she set up a booth in the Hills of Beverly selling maps to movie stars’ homes.
Years later she became the sales manager at a popular timeshare resort in Anaheim.
On a whim, she entered a drawing contest sponsored by Art Imitation Schools. When
her rendering of a turtle was selected, she decided to enroll in the correspondence
course and become an artist. After several months of intensive training, she received
her official artist’s certification. Shortly afterwards she moved to Orlando, Florida, and
got a job drawing caricatures at a large theme park. It was here that she developed a
propensity for distorting reality.
Eventually she traded her pen for a computer mouse, and after years of communing
with technology, she finally became one with the pixels that now define her work.
She continues to live in Orlando with her two cats, Scratch & Sniff.
Excerpts from an interview with a popular magazine:
How did you get the name XENO?
It’s what my parents have always called me.
Does it have a special meaning?
It’s a Greek word that means something strange or different.
Are your parents Greek?
No, they’re Baptists.
What were you like as a child?
The same as I am now, only smaller.
How would you describe your work?
It’s an acquired taste.
Where do you find ideas and inspiration?
From observing common everyday things like greed, ignorance, and hypocrisy.
What is the most important lesson you have learned in life?
That deep inside we are all seeking the same things; true love, eternal happiness,
and the closest parking space.
Eager fans lining up to see XENO’s latest exhibition.
