Full Bio / Resume

Christian Cordella marks the 8th generation in a family of prominent Italian fashion designers.

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Relevant Work

2024

• Star Trek Discovery
• Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
• The Electric State
• The Fall Guy
• Shogun
• Echo

2023

• The Oath
• Citadel
• Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
• Asteroid City
• Fast X
• The Little Mermaid
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3

2022

• Avatar: The Way of Water
• Spirited
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
• The Woman King
• The Gray Man
• Top Gun: Maverick

2021

• Hawkeye
• Spider-Man: No Way Home
• Red Notice
• Cry Macho
• Free Guy
• The Suicide Squad
• Space Jam: A New Legacy
• F9: The Fast Saga

2020

• Star Trek: Discovery
• Bill & Ted Face the Music
• Westworld
• Star Trek: Picard

2019

• Watchmen
• Jumanji: The Next Level
• Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
• Dolemite Is My Name
• Ad Astra
• IT Chapter Two
• Legion
• Dark Phoenix
• Avengers: End Game
• Captain Marvel
• Alita: Battle Angel

2018

• The Orville
• The Christmas Chronicles
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• The Girl in the Spider’s Web
• Hold The Dark
• The Sisters Brothers
• Ant-Man and the Wasp
• Avengers: Infinity War
• The Cloverfield Paradox
• Maze Runner: The Death Cure
• Black Lightning

2017

• Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
• Inhumans
• Thor: Ragnarok
• Woman Walks Ahead
• IT
• Hostiles
• The Shape of Water
• Downsizing
• Spider-Man: Homecoming
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2
• The Fate of the Furious
• Logan
• The Space Between Us
• Kong: Skull Island

2016

• Salem
• Star Trek Beyond
• The Conjuring 2
• Captain America: Civil War
• 11.22.63
• The Jungle Book
• The Huntsman: Winter’s War
• Allegiant
• Colony

2015

• Into the Badlands
• Good Girls Revolt
• Goosebumps
• Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
• Fantastic Four
• Supergirl
• Jurassic World
• Little Boy
• Powers
• Furious 7
• The Divergent Series: Insurgent
• The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

2014

• Galyntine
• Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
• Into The Woods
• Unbroken
• The Flash
• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
• Arrow
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier
• 300: Rise of an Empire
• Sleepy Hollow

2013

• Gilded Lilys
• Grudge Match
• Thor: The Dark World
• Arrow: Year One
• 2 Guns
• Now You See Me
• Behind the Candelabra
• Fast & Furious 6
• After Earth
• Iron Man 3
• Oblivion
• The Host
• G.I. Joe: Retaliation
• Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

2012

• Total Recall
• Snow White and the Huntsman
• Men in Black 3
• The Hunger Games

2011

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• Cowboys & Aliens
• Captain America: The First Avenger
• Priest
• Thor
• Fast Five
• Battle Los Angeles
• I Am Number Four

2010

• Eat Pray Love
• The Last Airbender
• Iron Man 2

2009

• Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant
• Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie
• G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

2008

• The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

2007

• Costume Designer for Universal Studios Florida Event “Grinchmas”
• Costume Designer for Universal Studios Florida Event “Halloween Horror Nights”

2006

• Event Designer for Disney Animal Kingdom - “Everest”

2005

• Lead Concept Designer, Major Event, Wyld Blue Productions: Costume designs, scenic

2004

• Concept Designer for the “Soarin`” dedication in E.P.C.O.T., WDW

2003

• Costume Designer for “Odyssea” at SeaWorld Orlando

2000/1999

• Saint Peter’s Square, Rome: Commissioned, official portrait of Saint Filippo Smaldone, praised by Pope John Paul II

1996

• Scenic/Costume Designer for the National TV Networks: "Canale 5", "Italia 1" and "Rete 4"

 

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Early career

Christian Cordella was born on 11 March 1973, in Lecce, Italy. He marks the 8th generation in a family of prominent Italian designers. From his early childhood, he showed a strong inclination for all art forms.

• 1982: He painted "S. Francesco e gli animali" ("St. Francis and the animals") for the Church of Lecce.
• 1983: He participated in his first exhibition, Lecce's "Pittori in Piazza" ("Painters in the Square"), where he was awarded 1st prize.
• 1985: Upon the invitation of radio host G. Pederiali, he appeared as a guest on the RAI live broadcast I Giorni to talk about the meaning behind the fantastic animals that grace his work.

Study

Christian's father, a 7th generation fashion designer, encouraged his son's growth in all of the arts. Christian attended high school in his home town, where he studied Fine Arts. He completed advanced art studies at:

• The School for Comic Strip Artists in Milan
• The Fashion Illustration course at the Marangoni of Milan
• The School of Sketching at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan
• The Theater Design School of the Academy of Fine Art of Brera, Milan

 

• 1996: The Academy of Fine Art of Brera in Milan (scholarship awarded as year's outstanding student)
• 1997: Illustration Program at Kingston University in London (scholarship, by Italian government, for top students)
• 1997: Academy of Fine Art of Brera, graduating with highest honors for a diploma in Scenic Design. His graduation project is an illustration adaptation of the theater piece "Death and the Czar".

Magazine Publications

• 1985: He provided illustrations for the magazine Cortina Città, edited by famous writer Milena Milani.
• 1987: He began an artistic collaboration with the magazine Espresso Sud, which continued until 2000.
• 1990: He began a collaboration with the publication L’Uomo e il Mare.
• 1996: He was featured on the cover of the publication L’Uomo e il Mare, and in a special feature insert dedicated to him as one of Italy's emerging artistic talents.

Sacred Themes

In 1990, he discovered an interest in Sacred Themes, and was commissioned by the Church of Lecce for a painting. Upon completion of the work, he personally delivered the sacred treasure to the Pope to be preserved at the Vatican.

Comic Books

• 1991: The 18-year-old artist took 1st prize at the National Competition for Cartoonists, held at the Expolevante in Bari, Italy.
• 1992: His comics were included in the "Expocomics" in Bari, Italy.
• 1993: He published his first comic strip entitled "Il ritorno di Casanova" ("The Return of Casanova").
• 1993: As a competitor in the major "Immaginaria 94" competition sponsored by the chain of department stores, La Rinanscente, and the Art Academy of Brera, his work finished in the Top 60 from among 8,779 works submitted. His prize-winning pieces are published in the contest catalogue.
• 1995: He is one of the cartoonists represented in an appointment book entitled Datacomics, published by the firm Balocco Editore on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the comic strip.
• 1999: In lieu of military service, he spent the year in a middle school teaching art and mentoring gypsy kids. He captured this profound experience with the gypsy world through an illustrated story, "Uomini Liberi" ("Free Man"). The story was approved by the Secretary of State of Vatican City.
• 2000: He drew the comic book "Goccianera", created by writer Luca Tiraboschi. The book was available in all libraries and magazine stands in Italy. The work was praised on famous talk shows such as Maurizio Costanzo Show and La Premiata Ditta.
• 2004: He drew the comic book inspired by the life of Saint Joseph of Copertino (protector of the American aviation and astronauts) with writer Michele Medda for the 400-year anniversary of the birth of the saint. (Michele Medda is famous as the writer of Dylan Dog and creator of Nathan Never, the most popular Italian comicbook.)

Exhibiting Abroad

• 1995: He was invited by the city of Hiroshima to represent Italy by portraying through his painting the desire for love and peace in the world, to help commemorate the 50th anniversary of the holocaust at Hiroshima. His painting, "Love and Peace", still is on display at the Museum of Hiroshima.
• 1996: Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, selected his drawings for the creation of a mural at its EPCOT theme park. He was invited to serve as a cultural representative to demonstrate the styles and techniques of the Italian Renaissance Masters, at EPCOT's Italian Pavillion in Orlando.
• 1997/98: Upon the request of Walt Disney World, he returned to EPCOT to reprise his role as a cultural representative to demonstrate the styles and techniques of the Italian Masters.
• 1999: His portrait of Saint Filippo Smaldone (patron of deaf-mutes), a work measuring 4x3 meters, is displayed in Saint Peter's square in Rome. Pope John Paul II presents it as the official image of the Saint to be diffused throughout the Catholic world. The artist received the praise from the Pope himself during a special private audience. This work was later used as an official postage stamp.

Set Design

• 1996: He is selected as an apprentice scenic designer for the National Television stations "Canale 5", "Italia 1" and "Rete 4".
• 1997: Collaborates with Maestro Luciano Damiani on the scenic design of theatre piece adapted from Goethe's Faust produced by the "Teatro dei Documenti" in Rome.
• 1999: He created billboards and set design, as commissioned by the human association "Caritas", for demonstrations in the name of Peace, during the war in Kosovo.
• 1999: He created set designs for the group "Oblivion", which were used for a jazz and tango contest.
• 2000: He returned to the United States to work as Art Director for the entertainment company Hardrive Productions in Orlando, Florida, where he created costumes and set designs for Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World, Busch Gardens, and other clients.
• 2004: He collaborated for the making of the Shakespeare tragedy Coriolano, starring Allessandro Gassmann, which will tour all of Italy for the next 2 years.

Other

• 1995: He appeared as a guest on the TV show Buona Domenica, to talk about his art.
• 1996: His work was chosen for the annual "Salon", organized by the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera, to appear in a prominent Milanese art gallery to promote the outstanding young artists from the Academy.
• 1996: Noted television personality Pippo Baudo invited him to be a guest on the television program Numero Uno, in a special edition for upcoming young artists.
• 1997: The artist was chosen to participate in the prestigious exhibition Salon dei Salons, featuring works by the top students of the past five years at the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera.
• 1999: He won 1st prize for the best stamp for the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, by the Italian Philately of the Club Lions.
• 1999: He travelled through Albany and Kosovo during the war, with a humanitarian aid group, using his artistic abilities to depict the tragedy of the war. His sketches were published in many different newspapers. In addition, he created billboards and set design, as commissioned by the human association "Caritas", for demonstrations in the name of Peace.

Christian's artwork includes commissioned portraits of Lance Bass of 'NSYNC; well-known Italian actor Alessandro Gassman; Tito Puente, for the namesake foundation in Miami; Jennifer Lopez & Chris Judd; and Cardinal Edoardo Martinez Somalo and Cardinal Salvatore de Giorgi of Vatican City.

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