‘We are here now because Paul, who is highly unusual in being a great painter and a great writer, has a new book out this month, Objects of Desire: An Artist in Venice, based on her diaries from that sojourn. It coincides with an exhibition of extraordinary paintings at Victoria Miro’s Venice outpost.’
‘“A painting comes from here, the stomach area,’” says Paul, pointing to her tummy. “I write if I’m in love. And I write if I’m grieving. Writing is a bit like unravelling. It’s a journey on the ground. Whereas if you paint you see everything at once, and it’s not a way to sort out something that is too problematic.”’
Image: Portrait of Celia Paul, 2026
Photo by Matteo de Mayda for The Observer
November 13 2026
