Breaking Down the Barriers
Maureen Caelli
Maureen Caelli
I am a 61 year old grandmother and artist. I have painted all my life and also ventured into many different areas of art and craft. My home is full of my work and I have sold a great deal over the years. At the moment I am preparing for a major solo exhibition in the hope of funding my art life and my life in general. I paint in a “super real” style and some of my latest work is even 3 dimensional coming out of the canvas literally. ACTAADS (a local charity helping disabled people in sport and recreation) has used these for a series of greeting cards which can be bought off their website.
Most of my adult life I have been active lobbying for the rights of disabled people and my rights. I have been disabled and ill all of my life being born with abnormalities to my brain’s circulatory system and I also have Multiple Sclerosis with a range of other complicated health problems. I have not let it stop me doing what I could, despite being so ill. I feel that disabled people in Australia get a pretty raw deal, especially if they are without any family support.
Because of my disabilities and illness I have not been able to work outside my home most of my life. This has brought home to me how woefully inadequate the government support is for the disabled community and especially the Arts area of it.
Many people visit my home to see my artwork and the extremely detailed dollshouses I make as a hobby. At the moment I am working on a Baroque Italianate Palazzo resplendent with murals and frescoes painted by me. It will be huge and quite magnificent and add well to my already huge collection I have made. I have made many of the furnishings and hand stitched the carpets.
My philosophy is to never let my disability or illness take over my life or control it more than is absolutely necessary. Life is for living to its fullest and not to be wasted. My disability only changes the way I live not control it. You can see me on the ABC website in a couple of articles about me from the old “Stateline” now called 7.30 ACT. The connection through IVIEW is listed below:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/10/08/3033693.htm
The ArtAbility Officer Caro Roach has been very helpful in my art life of late and I am very grateful for her help. I certainly would not have had as many opportunities without her help and I am very grateful to her.
I can be contacted to see or buy my work on Maureen.caelli@gmail.com