Celia Fernandez
Born: 1978
Hometown: Buenos Aires
Based in: Sydney, Australia
Celia Fernandez is an award-winning artist and frequently represented as a finalist in prominent Australian art prizes.
She started first exploring photography, but once she discovered the Op Art movement it woke up a dormant passion for painting and effects, giving her a new path that she has explored up to the present.
Self-taught, Celia spent many years learning through practice, observation, analysis, reading and experimentation before she decided to pursue a career as an artist, with the last few years focusing on painting.
She explores optical effects via her geometric abstractive painting style, fascinated by the perception of movement that can be achieved by the combination of colours and variations in contrast.
In Celia’s work you’ll notice the influence of artists like Bridget Riley's drawing compositions and the obsessive, repetitious mark-making of Yayoi Kusama, inspired by her two major influences she developed her own original technique.
Through the use of dots, she explores shapes, colour fields and reactions through layering, colour combinations and gradation of shade.
Her almost hypnotizing pop pointillism displays a great amount of precision and detail playing with the illusion of perfection.
Her work is experimental, original, intuitive and playful, a delightful representation of contemporary Art.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
6/2022
‘Friendship’ Caloundra Regional Gallery| Caloundra. QLD, Australia
5/2022
‘The Perception of Movement And Colour’ Solo Duo | Curl Curl Creative Space. NSW, Australia
3/2022
‘Fire Approaching’ Castlemaine Art Museum| Castlemaine. VIC, Australia
12/2021
The Other Art Fair | Sydney. NSW, Australia
6/2021
"Several paintings’, Aarwun Gallery / Canberra, ACT, Australia
3/2021
"Chimera’, Artists of Mosman, Mosman Art Gallery / Mosman, NSW, Australia
2/2021
‘Where Will I Go When I'm Gone’, Casula Powerhose Arts Centre / Liverpool. NSW, Australia
10/2020
‘Parallelism’, Campbelltown Arts Centre / Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
10/2020
‘Chimera’, Caloundra Regional Gallery / Caloundra. QLD, Australia
9/2020
‘The Sea and The Desert’, Gosford Regional Gallery / Gosford, NSW, Australia
3/2020
‘several paintings’, Belle ArtStart / Art Gallery of NSW. Sydney, Australia
2/2020
‘Opals’, Artists of Mosman 2088 / Mosman Art Gallery. Sydney, Australia
9/2019
‘Present and Future’ Mosman Art Prize / Mosman Art Gallery. Sydney, Australia
8-9/2019
‘The Simple Things in Life’ No Place Like Home / Several locations, Sydney, Australia
3/2019
‘Cascades’, Artists of Mosman 2088 / Mosman Art Gallery. Sydney, Australia
3/2018
'Dancing Waves’, Artists of Mosman 2088 / Mosman Art Gallery. Sydney, Australia
8/2017
‘Essence’, Lane cove art prize / Lane Cove Art Gallery. Sydney, Australia
9/2014
Anual Dutch Art Fair / Amsterdam, The Netherlands
9/2014
Rotterdam Art Fair / Rotterdam, The Netherlands
AWARDS
6/2022 – WINNER
‘Friendship’ Sunshine Coast Art Prize & BMW Motorbike Art| Caloundra. QLD, Australia
6/2022 – FINALIST
‘Friendship’ Sunshine Coast Art Prize| Caloundra. QLD, Australia
2/2022 – FINALIST
‘Fire Approaching’ Len Fox Painting Prize | VIC, Australia
6/2021 -FINALIST
'I Can't Touch You But I sense You There' Lethbridge 20000 Small Scale Art Award | QLD, Australia
11/2020 - FINALIST
'Where Will I Go When I'm Gone' The 66th Blake Prize. NSW, Australia
10/2020 - FINALIST
‘Parallelism’ Fisher's Ghost Art Award. NSW, Australia
9/2020 - FINALIST
‘The Sea and the Desert’ Gosford Art Prize| Gosford. NSW, Australia
8/2020 - FINALIST
‘Chimera’ Sunshine Coast Art Prize| Caloundra. QLD, Australia
3/2020 - 3rd PRIZE WINNER
‘Cascades’ Art Gallery of NSW. Sydney, Australia
11/2019 - SEMI-FINALIST
‘Cascades’ KAAF Art Prize. Sydney, Australia
9/2019 - FINALIST
‘Present and Future’ Mosman Art Prize. Sydney, Australia
8/2019 - WINNER
Acrylic Pour Challenge. Liquitex Australia & Eckersley's. Sydney, Australia
9/2017 - FINALIST
Iceland series 19, Finalist.Maggie Diaz art Prize. Melbourne, Australia
MEDIA
11/2021
Artist Profile magazine | #57 issue print issue.
2/2021
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre | Education Kit booklet print issue.
1/2021
Northshore Living | page 40 - January print issue.
8/2020
Diafano Mag | page 40 - August online issue.
4/2020
Featured on Belle Magazine Australia| page 44 – #May issue printed issue. Australia
COLLECTIONS
Kimpton Margot Sydney Hotel – NSW Australia
COLLABORATION
Artwork ‘Friendship’ selected to be featured on BMW Bike - Caloundra Regional Gallery & Coastline BMW
10 works for sale
Celia Fernandez, Argentina
Painting
$ 1,700
Celia Fernandez In The Studio
"1st photo: Belle Magazine Australia | Celia Fernandez Third Prize Winner in the Belle ArtStart exhibition at The Art Gallery of NSW 2nd photo: The 66th Blake Art Prize | The Casula Powerhouse Education and Public Programs team selected Celia Fernandez art work to be featured in the Education kit. 3rd photo: Artist Profile Magazine | Studio visit"
More About Celia Fernandez
What inspires you?
The need of finding a state of tranquility and to find myself after being lost in my everyday routine.
Describe your creative process.
I usually start drawing ideas using hard-edge lines and colouring them. Once I found a shape that I would like to explore more, I translate it into a different dimension suitable for circle shapes, I then start testing the idea by doing several test paintings on paper, until I finally find the right composition and start my final design on canvas.
What are 3 words that best describe your work?
Colourful, geometrical, original
Who are some artists that have influenced your work?
Yayoi Kusama, Bridget Riley, Carlos Cruz Diez, Julio Le Parc
What is the most important tool when creating your work?
My tools are from elements from everyday life: all sort of caps - pens, eyeliner, tools, containers
What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
"Everything in this life has a remedy, except death." Since then, I don't panic so much when things go wrong, I prefer to learn from instead..
Where do you go for inspiration?
Websites and outdoors
Credentials
Exhibitions
The Perception of Movement and Colour
2022
Castlemaine Museum
2022
The 66th Blake Prize
2021
Salon 21
2021
Artists of Mosman 2088
2021
Belle ArtStart
2020
Artists of Mosman 2088
2020
Gosford Art Prize
2020
Fisher's Ghost Art Award
2020
Artists of Mosman 2088
2019
No Place Like Home
2019
Mosman Art Prize
2019
Artists of Mosman 2088
2018
Lane cove art prize
2017
Rotterdam Art Fair
2014
Anual Dutch Art Fai
2014
Awards
Belle ArtStart
2020
Liquitex Australia and Eckerleys Acrylic Pour Challenge
2019
Mosman Art Prize
2019
Maggie Diaz art Prize
2017
Press
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre - Education kit - print booklet .
2021
Artist Profile Magazine
2021
Belle Magazine Australia / May printed issue
2020
Diafano Mag | August online issue
2020
Northshore Living | January printed issue
2020
Exhibitions
The Perception of Movement and Colour
2022
Castlemaine Museum
2022
The 66th Blake Prize
2021
Salon 21
2021
Artists of Mosman 2088
2021
Belle ArtStart
2020
Artists of Mosman 2088
2020
Gosford Art Prize
2020
Fisher's Ghost Art Award
2020
Artists of Mosman 2088
2019
No Place Like Home
2019
Mosman Art Prize
2019
Artists of Mosman 2088
2018
Lane cove art prize
2017
Rotterdam Art Fair
2014
Anual Dutch Art Fai
2014
Awards
Belle ArtStart
2020
Liquitex Australia and Eckerleys Acrylic Pour Challenge
2019
Mosman Art Prize
2019
Maggie Diaz art Prize
2017
Press
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre - Education kit - print booklet .
2021
Artist Profile Magazine
2021
Belle Magazine Australia / May printed issue
2020
Diafano Mag | August online issue
2020
Northshore Living | January printed issue
2020
For Trade