Celia Perceval

Born 1949

Celia has been an artist and intrepid traveller nearly all her life.  She is the third child of John Perceval and Mary Boyd.  She travelled to England with her parents in 1963 returning to Canberra in 1965 where she painted in the bushland with her father and exhibited paintings at age 16.

Celia married and returned to England a year later.  1968-71 she spent time in the small village of Tourrettes sur Loup in the South of France, where she made hundreds of drawings of the village people (some pieces were later exhibited at the Cremorne Gallery, Sydney). Celia then moved to a tiny hamlet in northern Italy to continue drawing the people and landscape of the area. Although she spent much time painting in countries such as France, Italy, England, Ireland, Wales and India, she made regular trips back to Australia as she maintained a deep affection for the bush that shaped her childhood.  1976-88 Celia moved to the Welsh hills, with her family, and built a studio in 17th century ruins where she was based while painting and travelling throughout Europe and the UK. Regular exhibitions held since 1972 including Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Canberra, London, Ireland and Wales.  Extensive travels around Australia, Thailand, Afghanistan, Nepal, Turkey, India, Europe, United Kingdom and Ireland.

John Elder interviewed Celia for the Sunday Age on the 19th October 2014.
Read the article online here