Urban landscapes New York City - Jorge Castillo

The Spanish painter, graphic artist, and sculptor Jorge Castillo was born in Pontevedra, Galicia in 1933. Just a year later, the family emigrated to Buenos Aires, Argentina for political reasons. After participating in a competition, Castillo was accepted into the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Buenos Aires but left the school shortly after due to teaching disagreements. In 1948, he instead began an apprenticeship in technical drawing.

Castillo became acquainted with the Argentine surrealist Raquel Forner, leading to a close collaboration between the two artists. In 1955, Castillo returned to Spain and settled in Madrid. During this time, he worked on surrealist ink drawings and gouaches, which were presented in Castillo's first exhibition at Galería Altamira four years later. In the early 1960s, Castillo moved to Barcelona, followed by a two-year stay in Paris. When Castillo moved to Geneva in 1966, he had the opportunity to focus more on graphic art. He continued to Berlin three years later before returning to Spain and Barcelona. Since the early 1980s, Castillo has been residing in New York.

Castillo is considered by many as one of the most important Spanish representatives of surrealism and informal art. In 1964 and 1968, he participated in the São Paulo and Venice Biennales. Around the same time, he was also invited to ’documenta’ in Kassel. His work has received several awards and honors. Additionally, he has been commissioned to create public sculptures in several cities, including La Coruña, Messina, and Barcelona.