Photo by Denise Burton
Christopher E Burton
Christopher E Burton
Christopher E Burton is a multimedia artist, brand consultant, fashion designer and holistic health practitioner. A seasoned Milwaukee photographer specializing in both still and motional visuals, he is noted for having been published in Vogue magazine 12 times. Over the years, Burton has become a multifaceted creative force who hopes to professionally combine his passions for art and medicine. His certifications as a wellness coach range include yoga, reiki, nutrition, sound therapy and color therapy.
Born and raised in Milwaukee’s Harambee neighborhood, Christopher E Burton describes having been introverted as a kid. “I would wander the woods and get lost in nature a lot,” he recalls. “One day I was at the library and I came across a sketching book, and I started learning how to draw. That’s how my art journey began.”
Burton enlisted in the military for a few years after high school. Upon returning home, he met a musician who asked him to take pictures of her with his camera. “After that I just started taking pictures of everything,” Burton continues. “I was enrolled at MATC in the television production program, and I was just looking for as many other creatives to work with as I could.”
Finding His Voice
Eventually, Burton began working as a photographer's assistant shooting music videos. Overtime he would gradually find his own voice as an artist. Burton’s photoshoot with model Bombshell Berda became his first time being published as a photographer. “She called me one morning to tell me we were in Vibe magazine,” he adds. “That just lit a fire under me, and I wanted more of these.”
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After several years of meeting people in the industry and building a portfolio with photo shoots, Burton began submitting his work to Vogue. The day he first appeared in their issue came in September 2020. “I tried for eight months, and nothing got picked,” he remembers. “One day I submitted a shoot I did with my cousin and her kids, and I woke up the next morning having a publication in Vogue.”
Since then Burton has been in Vogue 11 more times, mostly for his creative portraiture prominently featuring flowers or plants as a theme. “Having the foliage in the pictures is my way of giving somebody their flowers while they’re there,” Burton explains. “I want them to feel like they’re superstars.”
Making it in Milwaukee
Burton's most recent Vogue appearance occurred in May. “They would always tell me that you couldn’t make it in Milwaukee and that you’d have to leave if you wanted to,” Burton notes. “I wanted to prove them wrong. I put Milwaukee artists on my camera, and now they’re displayed in 19 countries and in forty different magazines.”
He credits his former spouse Denise Burton, who co-runs brand and marketing consulting company Jream Publishing with him, for helping both Burton and other artists get published. His creative team also consists of Amina Israel, Lisza Battikha, Sabrina Shauntel and Kultured Kinks.
Burton co-hosts with model Annia Leonard a weekly meetup at Upper East Bar (Oakland and North Avenue) called “Model Crush Wednesdays” where they offer folks mock shoots and posing tips. It happens every Wednesday from 5pm to 9pm.
Rihanna is cited as an inspiration for Burton’s fashion photography. “With her Savage x Fenty line, she shot a lot of non-traditional models like plus-size and people with disabilities,” he said. “It made me realize how important representation of all types of people is. It makes people feel empowered when they go on a website and see people who look like them.”
His fashion line is Royal Garbs. Branded in turquoise and red, his apparel comprises streetwear, swimwear and athletic wear. Burton just launched his purse and shoe line; he plans to debut Italian-made footwear during New York Fashion Week in 2024. Visit Royal Garbs’ shop here.
Passion for Wellness
Burton has also dabbled in filmmaking, debuting a collaborative short film with local Milwaukee artists Numero8 and The Oshi at the Columbus Film, Author & Photography (F.A.P.) Festival last summer. He has had his photography displayed in galleries in London and Greece, and is currently partnered with the organization Path to Publishing.
Expanding on his passion for health and wellness, Burton describes his experience getting sick with diabetes back in 2016 becoming what piqued his interest.
“I was taking insulin but I hate needles (laughs). I started researching natural ways to manage it and read all these books on nutrition and herbs, and then I began applying the methods I learned to my lifestyle,” he says. “I lost a hundred pounds and got off the insulin, which I’ve been managing without for eight years now through diet and lifestyle change. A lot of people don’t like being on a bunch of pills but there’s not many resources for alternatives. I started looking into Eastern medicine like acupuncture and built my lifestyle around holistic health and wellness. It inspired me to go to school to become a doctor.”
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Burton is a senior at the Midwest College of Oriental Medicine in Racine. He is on track to graduate next September, then plans to go to school for a traditional M.D. afterward. Comparing his journeys with art and medicine, Burton reflects, “There’s art in everything. Learning things like color therapy and sound therapy, you could be making art that can be healing or destructive. By bringing these modalities together, we remove the barrier where they’re separate.”
Christopher E Burton’s ultimate vision is to open a holistic health and wellness clinic, The Dragon and Phoenix Healing Center, for Milwaukee’s underserved communities. He is working with Brew City Match on logistics and securing the space. “I want these methods to be accessible to anybody,” Burton remarks.
On the biggest things he has learned over the years, Burton shares, “The seed grows in darkness. When you’re going through a struggle in life, most of the time that’s when you’re growing the most. People might look at a beautiful rosebud but not think about how much it went through to become that rosebud. It’s taught me to appreciate the darkness, when I don’t know what’s going to happen or how things will work out. Don’t compare your journey to others, and whoever’s meant to receive it will receive it.”
Visit Christopher E Burton’s Instagram at @christophereburton. View his Vogue Magazine portfolio at vogue.com/photovogue/photographers/234483.
