GUILLERMO CELIS 

 

GUADALAJARA, JALISCO, MEXICO. 1980

 

Guillermo Celis is a multidisciplinary artist from Guadalajara, Mexico. At present, drawing, painting and installation are his preferred modes of artistic expression. Celis's practice is grounded by introspection, his foremost concern being the opposition between his personal meditations and the uncontrollable environment surrounding him. Celis's drawings are comprised of precise compositions made entirely by hand with ink on paper that invite viewers to lose themselves in a moment of self-meditation amidst a world of chaos and disorder. He believes that exploring the contrast between our two worlds, the inner and the outer, provides us a greater understanding of the circumstances and experiences that shape us, thus further anchoring us both within and without.

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Celis has been forced to make sense of the profound perplexity of death since a young age, beginning with the loss of his baby sister. He has spent decades viewing life through this complex, existential lens. However, it wasn't until the loss of his wife in 2015, that Celis turned to art full time in order to make sense of the world of the living, and what happens after. This constant search to find balance between peace and restlessness is evident in artwork that vacillates between tranquility and anxiety, and calm and concern.

 

 The use of the straight line is the basis of most of Celis's work. A line can represent a moment, a feeling, or an experience. Life is, indeed, the accumulation of moments and experiences that inform our understanding of life itself. Through the repetition and aggregation of lines, Celis creates abstract images that draw in and captivate the viewer. In some cases he uses numerical sequences to map out his compositions, however most often he uses only his imagination to create these hypnotic works.

 

 Celis has participated in a variety of solo and group exhibitions, as well as international fairs. His work is in private collections all across the globe including Brussels, Madrid, Mexico City, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, DC. Celis's work continues to captivate, and demand for his work will certainly increase as he delves deeper into his practice. Celis lives in Guadalajara, mexico with his girlfriend and infant son.

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Jeri Netter Henoch - Art advisor and curator