Long Beach-based, professional artist Jennifer Celio displays her art at Moorpark College’s Administration Building (A) next to the President’s office.
“I knew when I was a child that I wanted to become a famous artist,” said Celio.
Both of Celio’s parents are artists, and being surrounded by their creativity was a factor in her in becoming an artist.
“My work borders on surreal, basing itself on reality yet depicting seemingly mundane spaces that have been artificially altered or supercharged,” said Celio. “It is the overarching theme of dystopia, a fantastical combination of natural and artificial imagery to show the often messy collisions between human civilization and nature.”
Art mimicking life’s reality and nature seems to be a theme for Gallery Director Erika Lizée when it comes to choosing an artist to display in the gallery. This theme can be seen in past exhibits such as Cynthia Sitton’s ‘The Space Between’ and Dani Vinokurov’s ‘Fate.’
“Jennifer Celio is a talented artist that combines her love of detail with an incredible amount of patience to render realistic yet fantastical images,” said Lizée. “[Her] style of combining realistic and fantasy elements in her drawing creates a lot of surprises.”
Celio, who received her Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Drawing and Painting from CSU Fullerton, has also been awarded with numerous awards. These awards include a grant from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, and she has also become a recipient of the City of Los Angeles also known as C.O.L.A. Individual Artist Fellowship, just earlier this year.
Her many years of hard work and self discipline to keep learning new things, and to better her art has given her the honors she has received.
The much achieved artist has touched many so far.
“The talent is amazing,” said Moorpark College President Bernard Luskin. “I can’t express it. It’s a feeling beyond words.”
Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday: 8 a.m. to noon in the Administration Building, 7075 Campus Road, Moorpark, CA 93021.
For more information contact: Erika Lizée, Gallery Director at [email protected]
