Chris was born in Saxmundham, Suffolk, he saw his mother leave at the age of four and his father died when he was just six. He went to live with grandparents who struggled to look after him. He developed a stutter and was bullied at school, ultimately leaving with virtually no qualifications and going through a long period of drink and drugs. Painting, he says, began "When I was under Her Majesty's Pleasure" and the therapy, the drive to paint and produce art is what keeps him going today. He is known mostly as an oil painter, working closely with Maggi Hambling who mentors him and his work.

Film making and photography are an extension of his ongoing artistic skills.