Cela Luz
Cela Luz was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1986. She lived in New York from 2015 to 2019, where she received an MFA in Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in 2017. Cela currently lives and works in Rio de Janeiro. In 2019, she opened her solo exhibition “Let the wind blow” at Mercedes Viegas Gallery and “Pinturinhas” curated by Raul Mourão at Rato Branko, both of them in Rio de Janeiro.
Cela paints imaginary landscapes full of gestural effect, surface tactility, and dreamlike colors.
Her compositions suggest ever-changing landscapes that pass through different seasons. From intimately-scaled paintings to large canvases, she sometimes depicts big outdoor spaces and, on another, explores fragments of nature elements.
Her subjects include windy gardens, trees, dried leaves, plants, nocturnal moonlit skies, seas, and rivers.
Cela’s work has been shown throughout New York and Brazil, where she currently lives and works in Rio de Janeiro.
EDUCATION
2015-2017 MFA Fine Arts - School of Visual Arts 17’ New York, US
2009-2014 BFA Graphic Design from Centro Universitário da Cidade, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2019 Deixa Ventar (Let the Wind Blow) | curated by Pollyana Quintella | Galeria Mercedes Viegas | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2019 Pinturinhas | curated by Raul Mourão | Rato Branko | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 ALVORADA | curated by Bianca Bernardo | Anita Schwartz Gallery, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2023 canto no mundo | curated by Bianca Bernardo | Casa de Pedra, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2023 matéria-corpo | curated by Bruna Gonçalves | Galeria Cassia Bomeny, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2023 Futuro Oásis | text by Henrique Menezes | Galeria Lume & Gisela Projects, São Paulo, SP
2022 Tiger Tiger Burn Bright | curated by Phil King | PADA Gallery, Barreiro, Portugal
2022 DA PINTURA | curated by Isabel Portela | Z42, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2021 Possible Disasters | curated by Gisela Gueiros | Residency Unlimited, NY, US
2021 Desenhos | Galeria Mercedes Viegas, RJ, Brazil
2020 Microcosmos | Galeria Mercedes Viegas, RJ, Brazil
2020 Breves Narrativas de Sonho | curated by Mario Gioia, Casa da Luz, SP, Brazil
2019 Pequenos Formatos | Galeria Mercedes Viegas, RJ, Brazil
2019 Elas por Elas | curated by Isabel Portella, Galeria Mercedes Viegas, RJ, Brazil
2018 Momentum | curated by Gisela Gueiros, Espaço Vão, SP, Brazil
2018 The Head is Round | curated by Gisela Gueiros, Lazy Susan Gallery, NY, US
2017 O contexto da linha | Galeria Mercedes Viegas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2017 PARTILHAS, PRESENÇAS, PROJETOS | curated by Mario Gioia | at Blau Projects Gallery, São Paulo, Brazil
2017 God bless deli | curated by Yael Azoulay and Ali Shrago | at Space Heater Gallery, New York, U.S.
2017 Fragmentos de um discurso pictórico | curated by Mario Gioia | at Roberto Alban Gallery, Salvador, Brazil
2017 Transfiguration | curated by Carl Auge | at Flatiron Gallery, NY
2017 Cognitive Dissidence | curated by Dan Cameron | at Ray Smith Studio, Brooklyn, NY
2017 SVA MFA Fine Arts Open Studios, April 27th, New York, U.S.
2016 SVA MFA Fine Arts Open Studios, December, New York, US
2016 Making the future | curated by Julie Torres and Michael David, at David and Schwitzer Contemporary Gallery, NY, US
2016 Sva Open Studios, April, NY, USA
2015 Sva Open Studios, December, NY, USA
RESIDENCIES
PADA, Portugal, Barreiro, September 2022
AWARDS
Partial Scholarship at School of Visual Arts 2015-2017
FAIRS
2022 Art Sampa - Galeria Mercedes Viegas e Gisela Projects
2021 Art Rio - Galeria Mercedes Viegas e Soma Galeria
2018 Art Rio - Galeria Mercedes Viegas
2018 SP Arte - Galeria Mercedes Viegas
WEB
"Not Random Art" March 2017 page 94
"Must have: the deep delicacy of Cela Luz"
"Com selfies e abraços, Cela Luz faz ocupação no Rio" April, 2015
"The occupation by Cela Luz" April, 2015
“Cela Luz Studio and Works”. Adoro. Oct. 19, 2014
"The big kiss by Cela Luz" Oct. 7, 2014
“Cariocas are: Cela Luz”. Oct. 14, 2014 Ipad Magazine.
“Markets predict difficult ride for Roussef if she gets re-elected” El Pais, Sept. 30, 2014 ()
“The kiss by Cela Luz” Gente Boa, O GLOBO, Sept. 30, 2014. ()
"Creative Brazil by Cela Luz" April, 2012
TV
TV Brasil - estúdio movel