Celaya Enrique Martínez

Enrique Martínez Celaya is a multidisciplinary artist whose career spans art, literature, and science. Born in Cuba and raised in Spain and Puerto Rico, Martínez Celaya emigrated to the United States at the age of 18. His artistic path began early, with formal training as an apprentice to a painter at just 12 years old. He later pursued an education in applied physics, literature, and art at prestigious institutions such as Cornell University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he obtained four patents for his scientific contributions.

Martínez Celaya’s work has been widely recognized and exhibited in esteemed venues worldwide, including the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., the Museo Marino Marini in Florence, and the Berliner Philharmonie in Berlin, among others. His art is part of over sixty public collections globally, featuring in prominent institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

In addition to his visual art, Martínez Celaya is a prolific author with nine books to his name, exploring art, philosophy, and poetry. Notable publications include two volumes of his Collected Writings and Interviews, spanning the periods 2010–2017 and 1990–2010, published by the University of Nebraska Press. His work has also been highlighted in monographic publications by Hatje Cantz, Berlin.

His academic contributions are equally significant, having held positions such as Associate Professor at Pomona College and Claremont Graduate University and Presidential Professor at the University of Nebraska. Currently, he is the first Provost Professor of Humanities and Arts at the University of Southern California and a Montgomery Fellow at Dartmouth College.

Martínez Celaya is the founder of Whale & Star, an initiative recognized for its influential contributions to art, poetry, and critical theory. He is a fellow of several esteemed institutions, including the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, and the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Trustees of Otis College of Art and Design.

Through his multifaceted career, Enrique Martínez Celaya continues to enrich the cultural landscape with his profound insights and creative expressions.