Biography
Celeste A. Lindsey is an artist currently living in San Antonio, Texas. She was born in Dayton, Ohio to a military family, who eventually settled in Texas. Celeste’s “art journey” began at six years old after watching How to Draw Spirit with James Baxter and asking her parents for her first sketchbook. Growing up homeschooled meant that Celeste was largely self-taught up until high school when she had the opportunity to participate in the Southwest School of Art’s Teen Studio Intensive program. During her high school years, Celeste earned two Regional Gold Key Awards and one Regional Silver Key Award from her participation in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards in 2011 and 2013. After graduating high school in 2015, she attended John Brown University for two years, double-majoring in Illustration and Graphic Design. In the fall of 2017, she transferred to the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she continues her studies toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. In 2018, she was granted the opportunity to show her work at Young Minds Matter’s A Beautiful Mind: Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health one-day event, had two pieces accepted in UTSA’s Art Meets Science: Comparative Anatomy Spring 2018 and Fall 2018 Exhibition, and exhibited two ink drawings in the 3rd Annual Marilyn Dickey Juried Art Competition.
Artist Statement
When no one cares about black people anymore, what does my art have left to stand on? I’m interested in creating black art that exists outside of “black art.” My characters are able to reach outside of themselves while still retaining their “blackness”—their ability to be understood is not dependent on whether they share the same race as the viewer.
The black youth in my work are often paired with animals. Animals are such mysterious beings; no one really knows what they’re thinking or feeling. The young men share this air of mystery—they could be in a dream, or deep in thought, or relaxed, or sad. Whatever the pair are thinking or feeling, why they’re there, and who they depend on the viewer.
My art has two purposes: to be healing and revealing. Art is my outlet. It allows me to keep a healthy mindset about myself, others, and life in general. I explore my deeper thoughts, emotions, and convictions through the use of my own symbolism. The process of creating is healing for me. The finished piece creates a space for the viewer to decide how to react. In a sense, it is self-revealing—the conclusion drawn from the imagery presented is pulled from whatever the viewer already believes.
Medium
Painting, Drawing, Mixed Media
Hashtags/Keywords
#blackartists, #femaleartists, #blackfemaleartists, #symbolism, #culturalart
