Young artist to watch in 2021
Celia Liberace, The Three Graces, oil, 44 x 34.
From: Virginia.
Art Education: I’m currently finishing my BFA at Cooper Union in New York.
Style: Classical. Representational. Figurative painting and drawing.
Creative Spark: Tree branches, mesh fabrics, movie theaters, the human body, movie soundtracks, Victorian storybook illustrations, cyanotype prints, libraries, cluttered antique shops, the smell of turpentine, early mornings, late nights, and watching others paint.
Second-Choice Career: I would love to go on a world tour in a post-punk, alt-rock girl band.
Other Passions: I play the piano and write in my journal frequently. Sometimes I like to sew corsets.
One Thing People Don’t Know About You: I’m a big fangirl. Harry Styles, Kristen Stewart, and Freddie Mercury are ethereal beings to me.
Best Advice Received: Take up space, and do so unapologetically.
Biggest Fear: Losing a loved one. Remaining too still for too long.
Favorite Studio Music: Classical or neoclassical music, and podcasts on psychology, neuroscience, mindfulness, or funky new-age stuff.
Favorite Work by Another Artist: I’ve been revisiting OPHELIA by John Everett Millais recently.
Future Goals: I hope to tour with a band in a graffiti-covered 1970s Volkswagen van, learn beekeeping, direct a short film, travel to Asia, and curate my first solo show. I would love to learn the cello and I hope to create artworks that resonate.
Price Range: $200 to $5,000.
Representation: www.celialiberace.com.
This story appeared in the August/September 2021 issue of Southwest Art magazine.