Acclaimed American painter Celeste Dupuy-Spencer has passed away at the age of 46 at her home in Los Angeles. Known for her visceral and politically charged figurative works, Dupuy-Spencer rose to prominence through her inclusion in the 2017 Whitney Biennial and the 2018 Made in L.A. biennial. Her death was announced by the Jeffrey Deitch gallery just ahead of a scheduled exhibition of her new work in Los Angeles.
Dupuy-Spencer was celebrated for her ability to navigate the complexities of American identity, class, and whiteness through a style that blended realism with a raw, flattened pictorial space. Her work often tackled difficult subjects, from the January 6 insurrection to the removal of Confederate monuments, while simultaneously offering intimate glimpses into queer life and personal struggle. Her passing marks the loss of a voice described by curators as one of the most significant painters of her generation.