About
The Full Story
Bio
Celeste Hernandez was born in American Fork, Utah, the twelfth of seventeen siblings. Her early years took her from Utah to Tennessee, and eventually to Kansas, where she completed high school and now calls Hays home. After studying music education for three and a half years at Fort Hays State University, she discovered a deeper calling in the visual arts and transitioned to art education. Her creative practice is deeply rooted in her experience as a mother; her two children serve as both her inspiration and motivation. Through sculpture and printmaking, Celeste explores the emotional and physical dimensions of motherhood, often drawing parallels between the labor of parenting and the labor-intensive processes she embraces in the studio. Her work reflects a profound love for both her subject matter and her materials, celebrating the beauty, strength, and complexity of family life.
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My artwork explores the multifaceted experience of motherhood, a central force in my life and a subject I cherish deeply. Through casting and fabricating metal, as well as screen printing, I engage in a physically demanding yet profoundly rewarding process that I consider a true labor of love. These tactile, intensive methods mirror the emotional and physical realities of parenting, such as strength, endurance, vulnerability, and transformation. Each piece I create is rooted in personal narrative, yet speaks to broader themes of care, identity, and resilience. I am drawn to materials that challenge me, both technically and physically, because they reflect the grit and grace required in nurturing others. Even when the process is painful, I find joy in the act of making joy in the sweat, the repetition, and the resistance of the medium. My work is not only driven by content but by the intimacy of process. I aim to honor the beauty and complexity of motherhood through forms that are fabricated, pressed, and printed with intention. In doing so, I hope to create space for reflection, connection, and dialogue, inviting viewers to consider the unseen labor and quiet strength that shape our lives.
Artist statement
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