October 16, 2019Artists

Meet Artist Eva Celestine From Bordeaux France

So, tell us a little about yourself and your creations:

My name is Eva, I’m 23 and I grew up in Bordeaux, France. I studied visual arts until last year, mostly doing illustration and screenprinting and some mural paintings. Then I started traveling while making animations weekly as social media content for a surf camp, which made me create a lot of surf-related illustrations.

What inspires the art that you create?

The desire to transmit a feeling, a state of mind. When I look at art that I like, that resonates with me, it’s like a transmission of energy and I get very inspired. I think strong emotions, whether joy or anger or sadness when they are strong, release a lot of energy that can be channeled into art. I love the work that I show and sell to be colorful and joyful, I love the summer when the colors are more saturated and bright. I also draw and create a lot when I’m feeling uncomfortable feelings, but I tend to keep this work private. I think it’s important to not expect all creation to be nice looking and all. It is a way of expression above all, I just prefer to share the positive, pretty part of it. Surfing makes me very happy, and sometimes the happiness becomes creative inspiration but not always. Sometimes it just heals me, just as drawing does.

What is the biggest challenge you face as an artist/entrepreneur?

Being brave. Culturally women are 10x more prone to the impostor syndrome and less risky in their actions and choices. Reading feminist essays helps me deconstruct boundaries I’ve set myself and gives me the confidence that I can live the way I want, that I don’t have to listen to anyone but myself. It can be very hard to face people that know nothing about remote working, nomadic life etc.

What have you learned that you would love to share with others starting their artistic journey?

What helped me the most in my artistic journey is showing my work and getting support by people from whom I admire their artistic work. Getting trusted advice and critiques on my work has taught me a lot. I also constantly feed myself on art, paintings, movies, nourishing the creative mind. I don’t believe in creating from scratch, I think we are always composing with all the images we see, in nature, in art, in life in general! I like to think we receive inspiration from a divine energy, there is something very mystical about creation. I love how Elizabeth Gilbert writes about creativity in her book Big Magic, I would recommend it to every creative person. And now that I’m giving reading recommandations ; philosophers like Merleau-Ponty, Bergson and Gaston Bachelard are a must.

How long have you been surfing and what does surfing mean to you?

I only surfed very occasionally until this year, when I went to Morocco, discovered the joys of a perfect point break and surfed almost every day. Now I’m hooked forever and I’m trying to improve my surf in the trickier conditions of the south west of France. I think surfing is joyful, aesthetic and poetic.

What’s your favorite quote?

“When I’m not doing something that comes deeply from me, I get bored. When I get bored I get distracted and when I get distracted, I become depressed. It’s a natural resistance, and it ensures your integrity.” -Maria Irene Fornes

Not a very funny quote but it resonates with me a lot. It’s not always easy listening to ourselves, facing incomprehension. But the Universe rewards us with many joys when we do follow our heart.