Celia Lees
b. 1996
Biography
Celia Lees (b. 1996) is a Canadian abstract artist based in Toronto whose practice explores emotion, intuition, and the complexities of human connection. Her work emerged from a personal search for self-expression and has evolved into an ongoing investigation of the intangible aspects of experience that often resist language.
Working primarily on a large scale, Lees approaches painting as a physical and immersive process. The movement of her body plays a central role in the creation of each work, allowing gesture, rhythm, and instinct to guide the composition. She frequently incorporates found objects and unconventional tools, responding to the materials and environment around her while embracing chance as an active collaborator in the creative process.
Although her paintings are shaped by their physical making, their origins lie in an emotional landscape. Lees draws inspiration from internal states, relationships, memory, and the subtle exchanges that define human experience. Through layered surfaces, expressive marks, and dynamic compositions, she seeks to capture sensations and emotions that cannot be easily articulated.
Her work balances spontaneity and intention, creating abstract spaces that remain open to interpretation while retaining a strong emotional presence. Rather than offering fixed narratives, her paintings invite viewers into moments of reflection, encouraging personal connections and individual readings.
Lees’ work is held in private collections across Canada, the United States, Switzerland, Germany, France, Austria, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, China, Singapore, Oman, and Malaysia. Through her practice, she continues to explore abstraction as a language capable of expressing what lies beyond words.
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