Ana Celeste

Model/Actor & Musician

Ana Celeste is an American singer/songwriter born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 2020, she began working with JBlanked for her debut single in French and Spanish, "Te Extraño." Not only is she a powerhouse vocalist and songwriter/musician, she is also a published model, photographer, actor, and graduate from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Ana Celeste first began as a musician studying classical piano, guitar, and vocal performance when she wrote her first song at the age of 9. Her early training included extracurricular activities such as music and dance lessons, choir and chorus through local organizations, and even joining a competitive dance team in ballet, tap, and hip hop at the young age of 13. She would go on to study under American Idol vocal coach James Lugo, recording her first studio E.P. at just 15 years old.

As an adolescent, she performed original songs and covers at various local venues including the North Carolina Museum of Art, The Burning Coal Theater Company, Renaissance Raleigh at North Hills, The Contemporary Art Museum, and others, both solo and accompanied by Spanish guitarist Ed Stevenson. She continued vocal training and piano lessons with film and musical theatre coaches Leslie Shumann and Rozlynn Sorrell into her late teenage years. Her musical versatility stretches from nearly all genres, ranging from classical music, rock and pop, and more recently, rap and hip hop.

While pursuing her degrees in Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies and French Language at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Ana launched her career as a freelance model and film actor. She has obtained 11 imdB credits in addition to her experience in many uncredited productions, such as local business commercials, student films, and independent works in drama, thriller, horror, and comedy. Films featuring Ana Celeste have been presented and received awards at the Carolina Theatre, Hanesbrands Theatre, Independent Horror Movie Awards, RiverRun Film Festival, Franklin International Independent Film Festival, and Cutting Edge Film Festival, to name a few.

As a freelance model, she developed a diverse portfolio in collaboration with many talented photographers before turning it into a profitable business. While pursuing her degrees, she was able to generate income as a model traveling across North Carolina and as far as Indianapolis, Washington D.C., Miami, New York City, and even Paris, France. She has been published in numerous, internationally-distributed fashion magazines like Malvie, Le’Coeur New York, Edith Glamour, and Vixen Girl Magazine. She has also walked the runway for designers and stylists in University-sponsored fashion shows from 2018 to 2019. Her bold style and versatile look bring a refreshing edge to any fashion and beauty campaign.

Before graduating from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Ana Celeste revamped her music career in collaboration with JBlanked, releasing several noteworthy rap and hip hop singles. With the film and modeling industries taking a backseat during the peak of Covid-19, Ana concentrated efforts on promoting her music, with her first single “Te Extraño,” amassing over 150,000 streams on Spotify. The power couple would go on to produce several singles, E.P.s, and music videos together in 2021 and 2022, debuting their first self-produced music video “Zip It Up,” in May 2022 and catching the eyes of 50,000 viewers on YouTube. Their work together caught the attention of widespread music magazines like Hip Hop Magazine, Elevator, Just Fame Magazine, The Further, Jukebox Times, and many others.

Also before her graduation, Ana Celeste founded her photography studio business, Celestial Studios, in October 2019. Firstly as a rentable creative space for photographers and entrepreneurs, Celestial Studios added in-house photography services by 2020, offering fashion, boudoir, and wedding photography. As a photographer, Ana worked for many acclaimed models in her community, including but not only Wilhelmina model Mahala Preudhomme, and Sports Illustrated cover star Christmas Abbott, as well as shooting album covers and music videos for her business partner, JBlanked. Serving famous and non-famous clients alike, Ana’s photography has been published in several international fashion magazines over the years, such as Malvie, Loud Magazine, Know Magazine, Penida, Yelle and many more.

After graduation, Ana continued her photography business at Celestial Studios, and happily married her business partner and best friend, JBlanked. They are now expecting their first child together, Jaden Love Barksdale, in late 2023. This gave Ana the opportunity to expand her modeling career in maternity apparel, promoting products for Sew Trendy Accessories and Kayla Douglas Artistry. Also while pregnant with Jaden, Ana launched her first online courses for models and aspiring models to develop their professional profile and turn their passion into profit. Learn more about Ana Celeste Courses by clicking “Courses” above.

In 2024 and beyond, Ana is focused on creating new music and promoting her modeling and online course business, while raising her son at home in Greensboro, North Carolina. In her free time, she enjoys keeping herself fit with dance and yoga, playing video games in French, and discovering how to make the best cup of coffee.