Christo Javacheff was born in Bulgaria on June 1-3, l-935, and on the very same day, Jeanne-
Claude de Guillebon was born to French parents in Morocco. Christo left Bulgaria in 1958 and
settled in Paris. Soon afterward, he took an assignment to paint a portrait of Jeanne-Claude's
mother, who had moved to Paris, and he fell in love with the daughter. Christo and Jeanne-Claude
were married and began collaborating on art, though in the first years only Christo took credit for
theirwork. ln 1964, they moved to New York City where they still live. in a custom they began as
young artists, Christo and Jeanne-CIaude go by their first names only.