Cory Kanakis

Cory Kanakis is an aspiring young artist with Asperger’s syndrome who always knew he wanted to do something creative with his life. His brother introduced him to 3D animation software and from there he became addicted to drawing. He began experimenting with Photo shop, environmental art, live painting, and 3D illustration. He is a graduate from the Art Institute of Seattle with a Bachelor’s degree in Art and is now working on his Master’s degree in Illustration at the Academy of Art University. Most of Cory’s work comes from intuition and a collage of photographs. It is his dream to eventually make it into the game industry as an environment modeler and texture artist. The art that Cory creates is what Art Directors call, “The icing on the cake.” Cory is thankful for his art, as it has allowed him to connect more to people. It has also helped him find an outlet and a release for his emotions. His art allows him to deal with his frustrations. Though the road has been challenging for Cory, he is thankful for it. The obstacles that he faced have helped him appreciate his gifts even more. Cory is a true inspiration to the autism community.