Chris Kraus

Chris Kraus is Professor of Creative Writing at The European Graduate School and has held visiting professorships at Art Center College of Design, University of California San Diego, New York University, San Francisco Art Institute, and Los Angeles Contemporary Archives. A Los Angeles-based writer and art critic, she co-edits the influential Semiotext(e) press and contributes to major publications including Artforum, The New York Times, and Los Angeles Review of Books.

Her educational background includes a Bachelor's degree in Literature and Political Theory from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, supplemented by acting studies with Ruth Maleczech of Mabou Mines and economic theory training at the New York School for Marxist Education. Early journalism experience with New Zealand's Sunday Times and Evening Post informed her interdisciplinary approach.

Kraus's research traverses creative writing, art criticism, and cultural theory through an autofictional lens that merges autobiography, philosophy, and artistic practice. She examines intersections of gender, capitalism, and artistic production while documenting contemporary art movements—particularly Los Angeles' 1990s scene—and exploring philosophical frameworks from French theory. Her work consistently challenges disciplinary boundaries through experimental narrative forms.

Analysis of her recent articles reveals sustained engagement with underrepresented artistic practices, critical examinations of power structures in cultural production, and innovative approaches to documenting ephemeral art forms. She demonstrates particular interest in feminist interventions, regional art ecologies, and the material conditions of artistic labor across diverse media.

Her significant recognition includes:

• Frank Jewett Mather Award for Art Journalism (2008) from the College Art Association, honoring her transformative impact on art writing through wit, honesty, and theoretical innovation

As an educator, Kraus has mentored emerging writers through institutional teaching and editorial work, notably as fiction editor for Bomb magazine. Her curatorial projects—including the 2012 'Radical Localism' exhibition at Artists Space—demonstrate commitment to supporting community-based artistic practices and economic activism within art contexts.

Kraus operates within collaborative frameworks centered on Semiotext(e), where she works with Sylvère Lotringer and Hedi El Kholti to publish critical theory and experimental literature. Her current projects include a critical biography of Kathy Acker, continuing her decades-long engagement with feminist literary legacies and avant-garde traditions through transnational artistic networks.