By Estelle Simpson
On the canvas you can create a world of your own, and Celia’s compositions give her a sense of control, especially against the patriarchal and societal norms which persist. Utilising the medium of painting to demonstrate a mischievous vision, these pieces transgress traditional gender dynamics through a radical redefinition of the muse.
In a room full of vessels, Celia Mora’s painting turns the tables on the historic muse. There is an extensive past of the female figure being fragmented or idealised by a male artist’s brush, dislocated of their spirit or character to be presented as indeterminate models. Making anatomical parallels, this painting ‘Specimen IIII’ juxtaposes the ceramic body in the foreground with the human body in the backdrop. This illuminates an acknowledgment of how the mere bodily vessel, a vehicle that is a container of our mind and soul, has been subject to politicisation based on its appearance, identity, and gender. Using her compositions to retaliate against the limiting narratives of the muse, Celia mistifies the gaze through her playful practice. For example, in many pieces the male form is presented in an attempt to antagonise traditional power dynamics, which highlights her understanding of the fundamentally political nature of how we have perceived gender in art for centuries.
Of course, women have for centuries painted depictions of the muse from a female perspective to tell their own narratives. Artemisia Gentileski addressed the dynamic involved in the depiction of the muse as early as the 1500’s, in her precosciously feminist titled piece ‘Allegory of a Painting’. This piece asserts her ability to be both the artist and the allegory – she is both the painter in the self-portrait and also renders her features akin to Cesare Ripa’s personification of painting in ‘iconologia’ – a joint role her male counterparts could never be represented as. However heroic this piece may be, for years after the feminine perspective has been drowned out by the male gaze, overshadowing canons of art for centuries. This illuminates the value of works such as Celia’s today which directly address the role reversal of the muse in order to empower herself. By flipping the gaze she confronts the fact that, despite coming a long way in terms of gender equality in accessing art, there is still much to be done to challenge the long-standing tropes underlying the body and gender representation in art.
Celia goes beyond regaining control through self-representation. Instead, alternative muses and reimagining stereotypes of the past empower her. While pulling from figuration, still life is utilised to further contextualisation the boundaries Celia explores in her work. Learning of ‘Hombre Florero’, I perceive how Celia slyly teases out the extremities of comfort and consent in a greatly confrontational composition. The cropping of this piece expunges a sense of context from the familiar, and places the subject’s body in an odd scenario. The placement of the muse’s genitals in proximity to the vase feels almost patronising, showing the biting and daring way that Celia dismantles the power structures of the male gaze. Using the methods of the great Baroque spanish painters, she is interested in destabilising the concept of the male heroic which is typically depicted within this style. A modern lens subverts expectation as the male character is depicted in a more vulnerable state. Through establishing the painting through thin layers, Celia provides a transgression of this painting genre through imparting a contemporary vision.
In these paintings the private becomes public. There is a focus on ordinary people in their habitual environment such as ‘Stashed Away’ which demonstrates a virtuous impression of the exterior reflections onto an interior scene, coupled with a windowsill border outline which indicates a sense of peering through a window onto an unsuspecting nude. This brings attention to the fact these fundamental issues, entwined within a person’s identity or appearance, exist within even the most everyday, banal spaces. Even personal space, regardless of the task the body is performing, can be infiltrated with the pressures of societal norms. Celia’s portraits provide an intrusive lens on the figures, frequently positioned in the background with their faces cropped out, stark naked. This gives the impression that, as an audience, we are impending on a private scene. A turned back indicates a lack of awareness of the figure to being the subject of our gaze, further stripping back their power. When it is the male muse which is drawn on as part of the composition, these qualities are greatly subversive.
After graduating from the RCA in 2023, Celia became part of the Turps community, continuing her playful investigations of the muse on the studio residency programme. During this time, her work has been shown in exciting group shows, placed in the context of characterful and historic spaces such as The Bottle Factory with OHSH Projects and Peckham’s Safehouse.
ES How did you come to art?
CM My journey into art began with a deep fascination with the human figure, driven by both a desire to understand others and the challenge of capturing someone’s likeness. This passion was first kindled during my classical training in Spain and further developed during my BA in Fine Arts, completed in 2018. After graduating, I faced significant challenges in sustaining a full-time painting practice due to the demands of a regular job. It wasn’t until I was furloughed during the pandemic that I could dedicate myself to painting full-time. This period was transformative, allowing me to focus solely on my work and produce numerous pieces, primarily featuring my partner as the model. This experience, combined with my subsequent studies in the MA at the Royal College of Art and participation in the Turps Studio Programme, has been crucial in shaping my artistic path and enabling me to pursue a more dedicated and ambitious painting practice.
ES Has the experience of the Turps Studio Programme shaped your practice in any way, or the way you approach your work? What has it been like to be part of the Turps community?
CM The Turps Studio Programme has been pivotal in shaping my artistic practice by providing a structured, full-time environment that has allowed me to focus intensively on my work. The programme’s format, which includes one-to-one tutorials with a diverse range of artist mentors and a close-knit cohort of around 20 students, has been instrumental in advancing my practice. Being part of this community has fostered a supportive atmosphere where I’ve been able to challenge myself, overcome self-imposed limitations, and gain confidence in my work. The feedback and interactions with both peers and tutors have enriched my approach and contributed to a substantial evolution in my artistic practice.
ES As well as feeling a sense of gaining back control through your practice, are there any other spaces which make you feel empowered?
CM In addition to the studio, other spaces that make me feel empowered include those where I can engage with the broader art community. Participating in group exhibitions, whether in traditional gallery settings or more informal DIY spaces, has been crucial for connecting with other artists and curators. These experiences have provided visibility and valuable feedback. Additionally, the support from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation has played a significant role in maintaining my artistic momentum and confidence, reinforcing my sense of drive in my creative journey.
ES While the impressive detail in your artwork echoes the virtuosity of the Baroque eras, are there any contemporary painters who also inspire you?
CM My work indeed draws on the detailed virtuosity of the Baroque era, yet contemporary painters also greatly inspire me. The insights gained from other artistic practices, as well as my exploration of modern themes and techniques, have been crucial in developing my pictorial language. The influence of contemporary artists, coupled with my study of historical painters like Velázquez and Goya, has helped me to navigate and expand my approach to painting, blending classical techniques with modern interpretations and narratives.
The modern exploration of themes and techniques enriches my practice. Artists like Alice Neel, Paula Rego, Euan Uglow, Eric Fishl or Jenny Saville offer diverse perspectives on figurative painting that influence my approach. Their innovative handling of the human form—through rawness, powerful drawing, or analytical poses—helps me blend classical techniques with contemporary narratives. This integration of modern themes and techniques enriches my practice and allows me to reinterpret traditional artistic rules.
I have also been addressing challenges related to the rendering of images—specifically, finding the right balance between providing enough detail to support my intended concept and avoiding over-description of my subjects. I carefully consider how much information to include in each painting, aiming to achieve a level of detail that adds weight and depth without overwhelming the image. My goal is to enhance the clarity and impact of the work while maintaining its effectiveness in conveying my artistic intentions. Being in London is a privilege because it offers opportunities to discover artists not only through its vibrant art scene but also through unexpected finds, such as lost books at charity shops. In this manner, I recently came across the work of Jennifer Packer and was captivated by the looseness of her brushstrokes. Her approach is both effective and expressive, capturing not just the physicality of her subjects but also an specific atmosphere and mood that make her paintings so easy to connect with. From her show at Tate, I also gained valuable insights from Lynette Yiadom-Boakye’s artworks. Her straightforward and deliberate brushwork masterfully conveys complex psychological depth in each portrait, revealing profound layers of emotion and character. John Currin’s work in the Tate exhibition “Capturing the Moment” made a profound impact on me. His caricatured figures, skilfully rendered with classical techniques, create a fascinating contrast that lends each piece a unique character and individuality.
ES Your portraits are very intimate, do you have a close relationship with the muses?
CM The intimacy in my portraits is profoundly tied to my close relationship with my model, who is my partner. Selecting him as a central subject stems from a deep-seated interest in the human figure and the nuanced exploration of intimacy and vulnerability through its representation. This choice has become a cornerstone of my recent work, allowing me to delve into themes of masculinity, identity, and the dynamics of the gaze from a personal and reflective perspective.
By repeatedly portraying him, I have been able to unravel the complexities and connotations associated with male representation. This process has opened up a wide range of aesthetic choices, including pose, framing, and colour palette, each contributing to the creation of a distinct visual and emotional language. My approach has evolved from an initial, more intuitive exploration to a more conscious and deliberate examination of these decisions, enhancing my ability to control and articulate the intentionality behind each image. A significant aspect of this exploration is my role as a painter and how it has reshaped my understanding of representation. With full control over how my partner’s body is depicted, I have been able to direct his movements and poses in ways that align with the conceptual goals of my work. This newfound agency has not only enriched my exploration of portraiture but has also prompted me to reflect on my own experiences with masculinity in relation to my identity as a female artist.
By portraying my male partner in a vulnerable and unidealized manner, I challenge and subvert
traditional significances attached to the male body, creating new associations that align more closely with my own perspective. Through this lens, I examine the historical and societal influences on gender representation and aim to contribute to a more nuanced and empathetic dialogue about identity and visibility.
Besides, over the past year, I have expanded my artistic repertoire by incorporating symbolic
elements into my compositions. By integrating still life elements, such as bottles, vases, and bowls, I have refined my approach to questioning not only the gaze but also the narratives that shape our visual perception of gender. Inspired by the writings of Marina Warner, Norman Bryson, and Ursula K. Le Guin, these symbolic prompts add a layer of complexity to my work.
The juxtaposition of the human form with these objects introduces a playful yet provocative layer of abstraction. For instance, placing the body behind the glass of a decanter or reflecting it in the shiny surface of a stainless steel sugar bowl challenges conventional representations and critiques the biases inherent in gender portrayal. This approach creates a compelling tension between the figures and their surroundings, subtly questioning and subverting traditional gender connotations while also invoking the aesthetics of still life painting.
Through this evolving practice, I aim to engage with and reflect the significance of gender roles, using my intimate relationship with my model to enhance the emotional and conceptual depth of the images while exploring new symbolic dimensions.
‘Vessel’ continues at The Bottle Factory until 22nd September.
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