Celia Lees
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Celia Lees is a Toronto-based abstract painter. She studied design and worked in fashion before painting. She names her pieces after people in her life who have no idea. It's a private thing, a way to work through how she feels about someone before she can say it out loud. Lees' paintings hang in galleries and in commercial spaces like Scotiabank Arena and 200 Amsterdam. She works almost entirely in acrylic, and has lately started experimenting with oil. This fall she has her first show with Bau-Xi in Vancouver, her first Sydney Contemporary, and her first solo exhibition in China.
Q: Your show Loosen Your Grip closed in June. What stayed with you from that?
A: What stayed with me most from the show was having so many lovely people come to the opening. It means a lot to me when people from across the world connect with my work and want to experience it in person. Beyond that, the idea behind the exhibition has stayed with me too. Loosen Your Grip was about allowing life to unfold without trying to control every outcome, trusting that things can carry on without holding on so tightly. That mindset has continued to shape how I approach both my work and life since the show.
Q: Your paintings hang in places like Scotiabank Arena, 200 Amsterdam, and The Laurel, right alongside gallery walls. Does painting for a commercial space feel different?
A: I actually love painting for commercial spaces. It's exciting to think that my work will live somewhere new people encounter every day.
I like the idea that someone might stop and spend time with it, or simply pass by it once and never see it again. Either way, it becomes part of someone's experience of that space. It also makes me really proud to have my work placed in buildings and environments that I genuinely admire.
Q: You've named pieces after people in your life who have no idea. What's it like carrying that secret in the work?
A: I love it. It feels like something that's truly mine, little secrets I share only with my paintings. It's an incredibly intimate part of my practice, almost like keeping a journal. Naming works this way lets me process my feelings about people without having to say everything out loud. Sometimes in life I find conversations happen too soon, and painting through those emotions helps me better understand how I actually feel before I ever put it into words.
Q: This fall brings your first show with the Bau-Xi Vancouver team and your first trip to Australia for Sydney Contemporary. How are you getting ready for both?
A: I'm so excited for both. Being able to travel because of my work is something I'm incredibly grateful for. Right now I'm spending long days in the studio finishing the paintings, and soon I'll begin preparing everything for shipping. It's definitely a lot to juggle when multiple deadlines overlap, but it's the kind of busy I'm thankful for. These are opportunities I've worked towards for a long time.
Q: You mentioned an overseas gallery show still being finalized. Has that come together since we last talked?
A: Yes! I'm so excited to finally share that I'll be having my first solo exhibition in China this fall.
It's planned for October, we're just finalizing the exact opening date. The show will be with 11 Contemporary in Shenzhen, and I'm hoping to travel there for the opening as well. It's a really exciting milestone for me.
Q: Is there a direction you're curious to take the work next?
A: Earlier this year I took a class on oil painting, and it really piqued my interest in the material. Since I work almost exclusively in acrylic, I became curious about what my work might look like in oil. I've started experimenting a little, and I'm excited to see where it could lead. I don't know exactly what it will become yet, but that's part of what makes it interesting.
