Mark Miller, host, and Dara Golding, producer, speak with Christina King, an ocularist at the Center for Ocular Prosthetics in Portland.
Today, they talk about the unexpected paths Christina’s career has taken as she always seeks to improve her skills. And how she came to create both fantastical “fun eyes” and realistic eye prosthetics. Learn about:
- How she made her first fun eye (a prosthetic with a gold iris!) for Rachel Mackenzlee and how this led to going viral
- How she and Rachel started a fund to help people pay for fun eyes
- The medical and artistic sides of creating eye prosthetics
- Why Christina will soon be sitting between two giant eye sculptures at a conference
- What Hollywood gets wrong about prosthetic eyes
- And how painting tricks can make painted pupils look like they’re expanding and contracting
About Christina King
Currently known for her “fun eyes”, Christina King is an Ocularist that resides in Portland, Oregon. She began her career in 2009, directly after graduating from the Art Institute in Philadelphia with a bachelors of science in Industrial Design and Technology. While in Philadelphia, she worked closely with Will’s Eye Hospital, with Dr. Carol and Jerry Shield’s as well Children’s Hospital Philadelphia, with Dr. James and William Katowitz. While working with Children’s Hospital, Christina specialized in working closely with children with microphthalmia.
She was the first to create 3D-printed ergonomic impression trays that helped many other ocularist with their own fittings.
Currently, she is very passionate about working with Rachel MacKenzlee to raise money and create as many free fun eyes as possible, or affordably. This fundraiser was created after seeing just how many other one eye wearers were interested in fun eyes after seeing Rachel’s page, who either couldn’t afford a fun eye or who didn’t have an ocularist willing to create one in their area. This specialty isn’t part of the normal ocularistry and goes above and beyond what is asked of an ocularist.
Additionally to Ocularistry, Christina actively partakes in continuing education therapy courses to expand her knowledge and obtain proper handling of clients with ptsd, trauma based, emotional and support. It’s one added interest that she uses in career to make her clients feel more at ease.
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Links of interest
Christina is an Ocularist with many talents. You can find her at all the links below.