photo courtesy of Jonathan Prisset
b.1994
Paris, France
works and lives between
São Miguel, Paris and Nosy Be
REPRESENTED BY
Chela Mitchell Gallery
Célia Rakotondrainy was born in Paris in 1994 and currently resides and works between São Miguel, Paris and Nosy Be. After completing her studies at Iéseg Paris, she decided to focus entirely on painting. While pursuing her passion for art, she also enrolled in the Art History program at Oxford through their distance learning program. In 2019, Rakotondrainy furthered her curatorial training at the University of the Arts in Berlin and the Freie Universität in the art market. Represented by Chela Mitchell Gallery, Rakotondrainy is a self-taught French artist with Malagasy origins.
Rakotondrainy's upbringing in a culturally diverse environment has inspired her to explore and understand the complexities of identity. Her paintings are a means of expressing emotions and exploring the idea that identity is a construction, similar to a work of art.
Through her art she poetically depicts the concept that identity is constantly evolving and dynamically composed of layers that are added, transformed, destroyed, and reformed over time. She believes that this ever-changing process of construction makes it impossible to grasp a universal definition of identity.
She has exhibited globally, including Paris, Miami, Washington DC, Barcelona, or Cologne.
“Through my art, I convey the deep sense of meaning and the beauty that comes with the realization that identity is a journey, not a destination, that we are all works in progress.”
EDUCATION
2019
Management im Kunstmarkt・Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany
Kuratieren・Universität der Künste, Berlin, Germany
2018 - 2019
History of Art・University of Oxford, LD program
2018
Exhibition design・Node Center, Berlin, Germany
2012 - 2018
Iéseg School of Management・Paris, France
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023
From one shore to another, my name might not be the same・ UTA Artist Space, Atlanta, USA
2022
Sorry for the wait ・Chela Mitchell Gallery, Washington DC, USA
2021
When the shatters break will the water be dead?・ Chela Mitchell Gallery, Wahsington DC, USA
2019
Look at me, this will tell me who I am・Le 153, upstairs, Paris, France
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020
Twenty Twenty Women・Artistellar Gallery, curated by Adele Smejkal
23rd International Open・Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, USA, curated by Juana Williams
2019
Night Garden・Youngspace, co-curated by Kate Mothes and Angeliki Jonsson
Art Contemporain et Artisanat Malagasy・Galerie Sonia Monti, Paris, France
ART FAIRS
2022
SWAB Art Fair・Barcelona, Spain, Chela Mitchell Gallery
2021
NADA・Miami, USA, Chela Mitchell Gallery
MISA・Cologne, Germany, König Gallery
SELECTED PRESS
2022
Architectural Digest, 10 obras que no dejariamos que nos quitaran de las manos en SWAB
2021
The Washington Post, In the galleries, Mark Jenkins
Artillery Magazing, Miami Art Week, Artillery Report, Day 4
Humans in the EU, Expressing multilayered identity through Art
Grazia, Art Basel Miami Art round up
East City Art, Exhibition at Chela Mitchell Gallery
Artnet, See Works by 5 Artists in the Artnet Gallery Network That We’re Watching This Month
2020
Art She Says, 6 Emerging Artists We Love from Artistellar
Made in Bed, Sotheby’s Institute of Art : Twenty Twenty Women
Humankind Magazine : Issue 2 - Rebirth and Renewal Issue
2019
no comment ® éditions
Rosebush Magazine
Célia Rako : Les raisons d’espérer, Olirantosoa Balza-Rakotomalala
Célia Rakotondrainy : jeune artiste peintre passionnée par Madagascar, Gabriel Rakotovao