CELiA LEES

honoured! thank you @artsy and Olivia Horn link in bio

I’m excited to share that I’m now represented by @bauxigallery in Canada. I’ve admired the gallery for years, so it means a great deal to working together. A large selection of my work including 8 brand new pieces are now available at both their Toronto and Vancouver locations. link in bio ❤️

LOVE LANGUAGE now on view at @sugarlift until March 28th❤️

//INTERVIEW Celia Lees Celia Lees is a Toronto-based abstract painter. She studied design, worked in fashion, and started painting full time during Covid. Her work is in collections across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. We talked about the jump from fashion to painting, how residencies changed her work, and her upcoming show Loosen Your Grip in Spain. Q: You studied design at Toronto Metropolitan and worked in fashion before painting. What made you make the jump? A: I was working in fashion after school at Acne Studios in Stockholm and was let go during Covid. When I returned home, I found myself back in my small town of 3,000 people in Canada with no clear sense of when the pandemic would end, so I began painting. I had painted a bit here and there over the years and did a lot of fashion illustration, but abstract came very naturally during that time and felt like the right next step. I got a small studio on the waterfront and thought, why not try and see where it goes. I had no idea that getting that studio, sharing my work consistently, and being open would lead to a full career as an artist. Q: What does a day in the studio look like? A: A day in the studio has become more consistent recently. I head in late morning after coffee and food, and once I arrive I try not to sit. I change into painting clothes right away and start working while my energy is highest. Read the full interview now on Curatory Magazine → Link in bio Artworks: 1. Where We Need to Be - Acrylic and oil stick, 2024 2. You Wouldn't Even Believe Me if I Told You It Was Raining - Acrylic and oil stick, 2024 3. Shared Turns - Acrylic and oil stick, 2026 4. Too Close to See - Acrylic and oil stick, 2025 5. Only Every Time I Close My Eyes - Acrylic and oil stick, 2025 . . . . . . . #curatory #celialees #curatoryinterview #contemporarypainting #paintingprocess

folded time 60x70in From my series ‘the waiting field’ with @tappancollective

‘What you carry, what I hold’ 60x72in from my new collection ‘the waiting field’ with @tappancollective

I 🤍 bianchetto - ty @maisonmargiela

‘many moments’ 60x84in commission install in Miami

shared rhythm with you & shared rhythm with me 36x48in x 2 @tappancollective

introducing the waiting field a collection of 15 pieces exploring the tension of waiting, the quiet frustration of slowed momentum, and the internal pull between control and surrender. now available with @tappancollective

A drink with you 48x60in @escatgallery for inquiries 📧

a few more @lyndseyconstable 💖