Marta Carceller

Biography

The artist was born in Barcelona in 1977 and is a mother of 4 children. At the moment, the family lives in Barcelona, the city that has seen her grow up and where the small studio where she works is.

Marta’s academic training has revolved around music and she graduated in psychology, which has helped her to internalize, explore and identify her own emotions, in order to capture them on a canvas.

She is a self-taught painter; As a young girl, began to be interested in this form of art, but  couldn't dedicate intensely because of her other occupations. Little by little she started stealing time from other things and  opted for what filled her the most.

As a result of the tragic death of her husband and father of her 4 children, the artist began to focus even more on this exciting world and realized that what he had encouraged her to do was what fulfilled her and what she needed; to stop the world and learn from herself,  from her own mistakes and to take the time to explore her own self.

Marta’s full dedication began as a result of the confinement due to the Covid pandemic; The incident gave her motivation and meaning, confinement gave her the time, and her children and Alex, her life partner, gave her encouragement to continue on this adventure.

Since then, the painter has been recognized in different Contemporary Art Awards and her works have appeared in different International Contemporary Art magazines. She has also exhibited in different countries such as Spain, France, England, Greece, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland,  Italy, Monaco, Japan, The United States and Colombia to name a few.


The subjects of Marta’s works are varied, from landscapes to portraits. She tries to reproduce everything that makes her feel, that makes her vibrate in a special way and makes her feel alive. She is passionate about making the everyday beautiful.

The art of painting allows her to experiment with different materials and textures, but basically she uses acrylic paint and canvas as a support.

She knows how she will start a work, but she doesn’t know how it is going to finish. For her, the act of creating has a clear starting point, but as she progresses and delves deeper into it, it becomes a truly exciting and extremely enriching adventure. Learning and discovery is constant.

As the writer Jordi Sierra i Fabra says,"Art is measured by what you feel when doing it, not by what you get paid fordoing it". This is why the painter is satisfied to be able to transmit to her work viewers a small part of what she feels in this intimate act of creating when painting surrounds her.

What’s your background?

As a young girl I have always been attracted to all disciplines related to the artistic field, but I opted for music and plastic art. Drawing and painting have always been present in my life as a hobby.

I studied Psychology because at that moment this science attracted me and also because I thought that it would be difficult to make my way in the world of art and be able to earn a living that way.

As a result of losing my husband in a plane crash and the subsequent confinement, my way of seeing life changed, and I began to value my time much more. I began to be the one who decided to dedicate my time to what I really wanted, which was painting. I got my hobby back and introduced it into my daily life. I am currently working very intensively.

The themes of my works are varied, from landscapes to portraits. I try to reproduce everything that makes me feel, that makes me vibrate in a special way, that makes me feel alive. I am passionate about making the everyday beautiful. I like being able to capture on a canvas what I feel, and feel while I create; it's like it's an emotional round trip.

The reasons for my works are always linked to experiences lived by me and personal vital learning, so my link with the work is very high; each of my works explains part of my personal story.

As the writer Jordi Sierra i Fabra says, “Art is measured by what you feel when doing it, not by what you are paid for doing it”. That is why the painter is satisfied to be able to transmit to the spectator of her works a minimum part of what she feels when the painting involves her in this intimate act of creating what she feels.

The art of painting has allowed me to experiment with different materials and textures, but basically I use acrylic paint and canvas as a support.

Although I have been fully dedicating myself to the artistic world for a short time, it has been very intense, so I have been advancing and experimenting quite quickly.

Despite the fact the themes repeat themselves, my pictorial style and technique have changed a lot since the beginning.

Initially I worked in layers where the outermost layer covered the innermost. Currently this has been inverted, and in each phase that I carry out, the background is increasingly visible, standing out with harmonious colors with those present in the main object of the work.

I know how I start a work, but not how I am going to finish it; In my case, the act of creating has a clear starting point, but as I progress and go deeper into it, it becomes a truly exciting and extremely enriching adventure. Learning and discovery is constant.

What does it mean to you to win the Collectors Art Prize?

For me your recognition means a lot. Not only regarding the works that I have presented but it also means a recognition of my effort and my evolution and maturation as an artist.

As I have said, I have been dedicating myself to art full-time for a short time, and I have realized how complicated it is to make your way in this hard, but enriching world.

It would mean fresh air and a great push to continue devoting my time and all my efforts to this world that we all know how difficult it is to open up in it.

It is very gratifying to feel recognized, not only by the general public led by individual tastes, but also by a team of professionals dedicated to the world of art.

What do you think is the role of art in the world today?

Art opens minds and breaks boundaries, aspects that help to have a mature and critical attitude towards all aspects of life in general.

Art connects us with our most sensitive, unconscious and intuitive inner part where all the solutions and strategies to solve a problem are housed. It is the presence of art that activates this part of us.

Art molds, and enriches. An open attitude towards art opens our possibilities to solve any problem, whatever its origin is.

Art makes us more human because it activates our emotions and helps us to know ourselves deeper and, at the same time, allows us to know the others, improving our empathy and humanity.

What would it be if you could change one thing about the art world?

There are aspects of the world of art that I would change and also other aspects that are adjacent to art, but that influence it.

I imagine that each artist will be able to say different things about it; some more than others will have encountered certain difficulties, or not; some will have found the path they were looking for, others not...

In my experience, being an artist is not easy. The commitment and effort that I put in does not always pay off, and it is very difficult to make your way in this field. Sometimes I have had the feeling that the only person who believes in my works is me, and that the interest of the ones who show some predilection for my art is just for their own economic benefit.

In this regard, I can personally thank my children and current partner for the support I have received and receive every day.

Another of the difficulties that I encounter as an artist is the desensitization of today's society (broadly speaking), where reason is overrated. The rush, the importance of "doing things", the noise, the demands, the competitiveness are not good friends of quality time, the time to observe,the time to feel. Therefore, not enough value is given to creativity, nor to what a work of art can make us feel and think. Art adds, contributes, and makes us see the world differently; but we need time and sensitivity to appreciate it.

Despite all the difficulties, it is worth continuing to fight to live doing what one wants to do; and this is a real luxury.

What are your most significant professional achievements? What do you wish to tell viewers about your work that might not come out explicitly? What do you hope to inspire with your artwork?

Recognition in the form of awards or sales is also part of my achievements as an artist, which makes me very proud.

I could also focus on fairs, exhibitions, or exhibitions that I have considered successful.

Even though the most important and interesting achievement, and one that I value above all others, is getting the viewer to have feelings when they see my works. Knowing that what they observe removes some internal aspect, and that my art, perhaps, makes them relive situations, moments or past experiences lived by themselves.

What advice would you give to the upcoming generation of artists?

I recommend continuing to fight for what they believe in, even when they have difficulties. Believing in something already puts us halfway to achieving it. It is very important to believe in yourself and in what you do.

It is important to promote art in this insensitive world, so we have a big task.

In what direction would you like to see your career go in the next five years?

I would like to be able to continue dedicating a large part of my time to art, and to evolve and learn as an artist.

I could also say that I will continue investing in making my works known thanks to the confirmed sales.

Country Spain

Website www.martacarcellerart.com