Kristi grew up in Sydney, Australia. Having earned her Bachelor of Design degree followed by her MBA, Kristi answered her call to duty to run her family’s executive training business in Sydney. A decade on, she managed the family business’ merger and acquisition with a larger non-profit. As a marketing and communications manager, Kristi developed collateral material, published websites, managed social media and developed a network of international distributors. Then in 2008 as the CEO of SimSkill, Kristi consolidated and transitioned over 25 years of historical classroom-based workshops for leadership, project management and compliance learning into its eLearning platform.
In September of 2013, Kristi boldly changed course to become a full-time artist. Returning to Minnesota in search of new directions and inspiration, Kristi initially found her community as a resident in the city of St Paul, but now works out of her own studio and gallery space in downtown Minneapolis.
As a collage artist Abbott is fascinated with the use of color, pattern and texture and tries to combine these elements in her work in an innovative and exciting way using a combination of substrates, adhesives, papers and embellishment materials.
Abbott also feels challenged to continue to push the boundaries of technique, subject matter and provocation. She is keen to understand some of the driving forces that shape our culture, communities and social patterns. Therefore each piece and series is thoughtfully researched and conceptualized to tell a story through the use of familiar imagery richly layered through each artwork. Major influences in her work include pop art and pop culture, Hollywood, music and fashion. Games from her childhood have also had a major influence in her latest works, which are rich with hidden imagery. As a child she spent hours hunting through “Where’s Wally” books, examining “Spot the Difference” games and piecing together intricate jigsaw puzzles.