“The main theme of the exhibition has to do with looking and being looked at,” Celia Paul told me. “I wanted to try and subvert the notion of passivity—to take back control.” The work, Painter Seated in her Studio, is a testament to having accomplished just that.
Paul, who was born in India in 1959 and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London is wearing the proverbial, paint-encrusted heavy dress that she wipes her brushes on. The dress bears the legacy of years of painting, The wall behind her is painted with the same dashing flecks of pale color, like flesh illuminated. The way she folds her hands and feet demonstrates the delicacy of her being. We can also see the strength of character behind the quiet reserve. This is not a portrait of a sitter in repose, but rather a portrait of power and defiance. Here is an artist who holds her own.
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The painting, as in all the paintings in the show, exudes a mystical glow. The subjects radiate, as though surrounded by light, as well as emanating from within—whether it be a building, a white rose, the sky, or the self-portraits. They all represent Paul’s quiet stillness and her inner world. Each painting is tender, delicate, and strong.
The owner and founder of Vielmetter, Susanne Vielmetter, told me that when Paul saw the show before the opening, she cried. “I was so moved........