This week on Studio Sunday, let’s take a look inside the studio of Fia Cielen. Cielen, a Belgian artist, works in this beautiful studio space in Antwerp. Known for her drawings, sculptures and installations, the artist creates works that are surreal and difficult to unpack, showcasing a mysterious world with slightly sinister undertones.  

Cielen’s studio is the picture of modern comfort and aesthetics. Her desk appears quite neat and polished, and the Apple desktop computer in front of her seems to indicate that the artist frequently uses the computer – if not directly in her work, then likely for research purposes.

I love the small decorative details, like the tropical plants that sit throughout the space. The large, rubbery leaves hanging down are a nice way to add visual interest to a studio space – it’s like a toned-down version of the masses of foliage that adorn Claire Basler’s studio space in France. The selection of small skulls on the wall above the artist’s head are also an interesting touch, and probably serve as either inspiration or reference for some of Cielen’s works.

Also on the wall in front of Cielen’s work desk are a number of printed images – they could be her own artworks, or images that she keeps there as a study for an ongoing piece. I wonder as well about the mirror sitting in front of the window. Maybe Cielen occasionally uses her own image as a jumping-off point for her surreal figures.

Many of Cielen’s recent works feature bizarre figures and faces drawn in white media on black paper. The figures look like something you might remember seeing in a distant dream – bulbous and hairy with uneven, staring eyes and geometric protrusions. 

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