Celia Paul

Celia Paul is a British figurative painter known for her intimate and introspective portraits. She was born in 1959 in Trivandrum, India, and grew up in England. Paul studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London in the late 1970s, where she met fellow student Lucian Freud, who would become her mentor and lifelong friend. Paul's paintings often depict herself, her family members, and friends, and are characterized by their sensitive, emotive use of color and light. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the United Kingdom and Europe, and is held in the collections of several prominent institutions, including the National Portrait Gallery in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In addition to her painting practice, Paul is also a writer, and has published several books.