📣 TheBoldWay présente: Celeste - Textile landscapes between earth and sky

María Fernanda Camarena (0:00)

I went to school for fine arts, but then at the beginning of my career, I started working more as an artist assistant, studio manager, so I was in the backstage of art. And then eventually, I wanted to do something different, and it was not until Celeste that I put my creative voice out in the world.

Gabriel Rosas Alemán (0:17)

Finally realized that I wanted to be an artist, because before I was thinking that probably I could make some other things, like a curatorial approach, or maybe having a gallery, or things like that. But it was until Germany that I found what I was meant to do as an individual artist.

Camille Agnès Omerin (0:37)

Celeste is an artist duo from Mexico City composed by María Fernanda Camarena and Gabriel Rosas Alemán. They met in 2015, and they will wait 2020 to launch their artist duo. Celeste is known for the exploration of textile, installation and painting.

Through the integration of dyeing, suing and painting techniques, their works blur the boundaries between textile art and contemporary painting. Their vision of art is deeply rooted in social connections and hospitality within living spaces. Welcome, Fernanda and Gabriel.

María Fernanda Camarena (1:19)

Thank you for the introduction.

Gabriel Rosas Alemán (1:20)

Thank you, Camille.

Camille Agnès Omerin (1:23)

So you're in France since 10 days now. Yes. You're here also in Vernery to do this amazing mural in our staircase.

And I wanted to know, starting this conversation, could you introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about your background before Celeste ?

María Fernanda Camarena (1:46)

Okay. Okay.

I can start.

Camille Agnès Omerin (1:49)

Yeah, please.

María Fernanda Camarena (1:49)

So I'm María Fernanda Camarena. I was born in Guadalajara, a city in Mexico.

I went to school for fine arts. But then at the beginning of my career, I started working more as an artist assistant, studio manager, so I was in the back stage of art. And then eventually I wanted to do something different. And it was not until Celeste that I put my creative voice out in the world. So, yeah.

Camille Agnès Omerin (2:13)

You didn't have your own creativity before the duo.

María Fernanda Camarena (2:17)

I had it, but it was hidden. It was hidden in my journal pages. It was something very intimate that I could not put out in the world easily. Until Celeste.

Camille Agnès Omerin (2:27)

How old are you, Fernanda ?

María Fernanda Camarena (2:28)

I'm 37 I'm like, how old am I ?

Camille Agnès Omerin (2:32)

89, the best. 88, actually.

María Fernanda Camarena (2:35)

I'm about to turn 38

Camille Agnès Omerin (2:38)

And what about you, Gabriel ?

Gabriel Rosas Alemán (2:40)

I'm Gabriel Rosas Alemán. And I was born in Mexico City. I studied the art in one of the few schools of art that are all over Mexico. And in that school, they have this program of interchange. So I took it to Germany. So I studied in Braunschweig.

That's the city. And it was meant to be only for one semester, but I stayed three years in Germany, studying in this school in Habeck, Braunschweig. And after that period, I came back to Mexico and I started my individual practice. Also by being studying abroad, I finally realized that I wanted to be an artist because before I was thinking that probably I could make some other things, like a curatorial approach, maybe having a gallery or things like that. But it was until Germany that I found what I was meant to do as an individual artist. So my career as an individual artist started, let's say, in between 2014, 2015 And at the same period of time, Fernanda and I met at the beginning of 2015

So I was doing this individual career, like having exhibitions, like being represented by a gallery, like doing residencies and so on. Until in 2019, the invitation for an exhibition came.

This invitation was like for me to do a project, but the invitation extended to Fernanda as well. And at that moment, Fernanda and I, we were already living together. So I brought this invitation. And from that moment, the conversations about what we were able to do together started in the artistic practice, let's say.

Camille Agnès Omerin (4:54)

How did you meet, guys ? And when did you realize you wanted to create art together ?

María Fernanda Camarena (5:00)

Okay, good question. So we met in my hometown, Guadalajara, and we met through a very good friend, Andrés.

He, I mean, we had already, we knew about each other, but we were not acquainted with each other. And it was through this friend, he was really good friends with Gabriel. And suddenly one day he was like, oh, let's go have a drink. And he invited Gabriel. And that's where like a relationship between the two, not a romantic relationship, but just like a friendship started. And yeah, that's how we met.