Colin Drake Faulkner-El is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and freelance Digital Media Specialist from Calumet City, Illinois, now based in Fairfield, Iowa, cel147 works across digital media, fine art, and community-based projects. From an early age, drawing favorite anime and cartoon characters and creating arts and crafts after school led naturally into painting shirts for local organizations. After a pause, his move to Fairfield in 2015 reignited his creative path while attending Maharishi International University, where he became immersed in video production, photography, and digital media.
Mentorship with Tree of Nah was pivotal in his artistic evolution. Under her guidance, cel147 matured his skills in graphic design (logos, images, digital compositions) and web design, then expanded into fine art and tattooing. Inspired by her work ethic, creative vision, and love of community, he embraced art as both discipline and spiritual practice.
Today, his work spans painting, mixed media, digital design, photography, and wood-based creations. Often described as esoteric and at times religious, his practice is intuitive, ritualistic, and spiritual — balancing research with listening. He experiments with both traditional and unconventional mediums, including cardboard boxes, paper packaging, bottles, coffee, ink, acrylics, Indian inks, and diverse types of paper. Recurring themes of life, death, and renewal appear through symbols like skulls, skeletons, teardrops, and rose ... view more »
Colin Drake Faulkner-El is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and freelance Digital Media Specialist from Calumet City, Illinois, now based in Fairfield, Iowa, cel147 works across digital media, fine art, and community-based projects. From an early age, drawing favorite anime and cartoon characters and creating arts and crafts after school led naturally into painting shirts for local organizations. After a pause, his move to Fairfield in 2015 reignited his creative path while attending Maharishi International University, where he became immersed in video production, photography, and digital media.
Mentorship with Tree of Nah was pivotal in his artistic evolution. Under her guidance, cel147 matured his skills in graphic design (logos, images, digital compositions) and web design, then expanded into fine art and tattooing. Inspired by her work ethic, creative vision, and love of community, he embraced art as both discipline and spiritual practice.
Today, his work spans painting, mixed media, digital design, photography, and wood-based creations. Often described as esoteric and at times religious, his practice is intuitive, ritualistic, and spiritual — balancing research with listening. He experiments with both traditional and unconventional mediums, including cardboard boxes, paper packaging, bottles, coffee, ink, acrylics, Indian inks, and diverse types of paper. Recurring themes of life, death, and renewal appear through symbols like skulls, skeletons, teardrops, and roses with thorns, reflecting cycles of transformation both personal and universal.
Alongside his studio practice, cel147 is active as both a freelance Digital Media Specialist and a curator, producing and supporting exhibitions, cultural programming, and digital projects. This dual path reinforces his commitment to merging art, technology, and community engagement in ways that resonate across audiences.
Affiliated with the Fairfield Cultural Alliance, MAKETRICKS Collective Arts, and the Moorish Science Temple of America, cel147 views art and consciousness as aligned — a practice of awareness that deepens connection to the Creator. His work has appeared in curated digital galleries and at community events such as the Southeast Iowa Art & Book Fair.
Whether through pixels, paint, or ritual, cel147 continues to push the boundaries of artistic expression, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural landscape while cultivating spaces for connection and reflection.
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