Enrique Martínez Celaya (born June 9, 1964) is a contemporary Cuban-born painter, sculptor, author, and former physicist whose work has been exhibited and collected by international institutions.

[1] He trained and worked as a laser physicist, completing all coursework for his doctorate, before devoting himself full-time to his artwork.

[11] He initiated his formal training as an apprentice to a painter at the age of 12 and developed his early interest in writing and philosophy.

[9][11] He graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics and a minor in Electrical Engineering in 1986.

[14][9] He was selected as a Regent's Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, and earned a Master of Science degree with a specialization in Quantum Electronics[11] While there, he patented several laser devices.

Martínez Celaya founded Whale and Star in 1998, an imprint specializing in art and its relationship to other intellectual and creative fields, especially literature, philosophy, and critical theory.

Martínez Celaya is currently Provost Professor of Humanities and Arts at USC (2017–present) in Los Angeles and, since 2014, a Montgomery Fellow at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.

In 2019, in collaboration with USC Dornsife The Lecture Project was re-launched and is currently hosting programming from Martínez Celaya's Los Angeles Studio.

[1] In 2020, Martínez Celaya was awarded a Doctor Honoris Causa from Otis College of Art and Design.