Vija Celmins

About

Latvian-born artist known for her photo-realistic art and for her monochromatic paintings and pop sculptures.

Before Fame

She studied at the John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis and later entered the MFA art program at the University of California-Los Angeles.

Trivia

Her private collector Edward R. Broida donated fifty million dollars worth of her work to the Museum of Modern Art in 2005.

Family Life

Her family fled Latvia and relocated to the United States after World War II.

Associated With

She met and befriended artist Chuck Close during a fellowship at Yale in 1961.