IRENE VAN CELESTINE
530 West 25th Street, New York, NY
Irene van Celestine, “Irene who is heavenly connected,” is a Russian-born painter based in Melbourne, Florida. A radiologist, van Celestine began to paint only a few years ago, after the sudden passing of her mother and aunt in close succession. Fusing mythology, history and popular culture, her work is a testament to courage and resilience in the face of adversity. In van Celestine’s fantasy worlds, women hold supreme power over the phenomenal and noumenal spheres. Often portrayed unclothed in the moonlit wilderness, they confidently stroll through forests with dragon wings, fly over dark barren landscapes, or sprawl across oversized flower fields, bending oceans, fires, and wild beasts to their command.
There is also a profound esoteric element in her narratives. The women appear spirited, their eyes wide open looking straight into your soul. Engaged in sacred animistic rituals, they conjure universal forces with symbols and incantations, chaperoned by groups of feral animals. The creatures–namely wolves, bears, black swans, and dragons– at times represent our demons and at times strength. Van Celestine slashes through the fear with swords and flames but also caresses, embraces, and heals with angel feathers. From the depths of grief, she rises victorious like a phoenix from the ashes. About Come and Get Me Dragon King, showing a winged female figure looking in the mirror, she remarks, “The woman looks in the mirror with despair and still sees the reflection of her beautiful purple wings, which were cut off in real life. She is crying in pain and frustration, but her wings will grow again when the time is right.
IRENE VAN CELESTINE ON
Illustration To The Second Verse Of Leonard Cohen (Hallelujah) Oil on canvas
I believe that true art is conceived through deep struggles, internal conflicts, and desires. I started painting after the tragic deaths of my mother and aunt, becoming the oldest woman in the family in a matter of days. Feeling closer to them than ever before, I chose to sign my paintings “Irene Van Celestine,” which means “Irene who is heavenly connected.” My work speaks of resilience and unleashed power against the demons that inhabit our world and soul. Some of my paintings were imagined in times of desperation; others came to me in my dreams. Each time I pick up a brush, I’m overwhelmed by emotions, yet often, the characters and scenes remain elusive, their identities and narratives gradually unfolding. As I paint, the background becomes more elaborate, and the figures shift in position and form. The intense visual stimulation of my art is in its shocking unfiltered honesty, brutal force or bright colors, and its magical twist. My paintings aim to evoke deep emotions: our minds stop our train of thought in its path to reminisce, our heartbeats skip in ache, and our eyes tear in sorrow. Yet there is hope–for the light, for the flight, for true love without boundaries.
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