Claudia Castillo
Could you tell us about yourself and your background?
I’m a business owner and artist. I was born in Colombia and educated in the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota. I sought additional arts studies at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, the Finishing School, NY, and the National University of Colombia. I have a deep appreciation of the great masters and have gone through a personal journey to study their works. My passion has always been to be an artist and that led me to transition my career later in my life to work towards that goal.
I founded Claudia Castillo ART studio, a boutique art gallery in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where I exhibit my own art and give opportunities to other artists. I am blessed to have exhibited my work nationally and internationally in Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, London and Spain. I am very passionate about helping my community and I serve on various boards and non-profit organizations expanding culture, art and diversity.
When did you decide to pursue a career as an artist?
As a child, I was always very interested in art and design. I collected drawings and illustrations that impacted me. I had the opportunity to visit many museums and private exhibitions and the things I saw and experienced made such a strong impact in my life. They inspired me to learn the language of the art and yearn to learn more about colors and techniques. I am still learning each day.
In Colombia, I studied social communication and was a radio and television producer but my love was always in the arts and design. I moved to Fort Lauderdale to study at the Art Institute and to transition my career in a more culturally diverse community. In 2017, I started my art studio gallery in Wilton Manors, I fell in love with the Wilton Manors and the Fort Lauderdale community because it has a tremendous diversity of cultures, and a welcoming LGBTQ community. Those communities have been very appreciative of my artwork.
What does your artwork aim to say?
My art aims to convey moments of happiness, emotions and peace. Even though life has challenges, I want to show the beauty of life through my work and wish my art to be a source of peace and inspiration to others. I believe that ‘art’ is a refuge, and when you paint, you never feel alone. I express my feelings and emotions through my art to make a connection with people.
How do you stay motivated and productive in your art practice?
I am motivated because I love what I do and consider myself blessed to be able to do what I love each day. I start each week by committing two full days to just painting. Sometimes I am motivated to paint something and have clear ideas however other times those ideas are not so clear and it is just a fleeting form that grows and develops organically. However, once I start painting and listen to my music, I am transformed into a place inside the painting, the colors, the feelings and the medium. As I begin to paint I start finding other ideas that come to me that I want to express in the piece and I take the concept that was forming in my mind to completion. Sometimes the process takes me to different places and I allow that creativity and the painting to develop until I feel a piece is finished. Day to day as I see the different things that we are all bombarded with in today’s busy world, I draw from them as they are a constant flow of ideas for me. The pictures and things that I see are filed away in my mind and later I draw from them consciously and subconsciously to create my work.
How has your artistic career progressed and changed over time?
My artistic career has changed over time as I have changed and grown personally. One’s way of painting begins to find a style based on the emotions that you want to capture and the experiences that you have lived however the essence is always the same “to paint what you are motivated to paint and to capture the emotions you want to express with your work”.
Who are your biggest influences?
My inspiration comes from the emotions evoked from nature, earth and water and from the moments that bring me peace and reflection. The oceans are a great inspiration to me because of their grandness and the fluidity of the movement of the water that is never the same. I draw upon the emotions and feelings I perceive in the world to create my own abstraction of the beauty I see and feel around me. Like Matisse said: “Color was not given to us in order that we should imitate nature, it was given to us so that we can express our own emotion”
Which elements are essential to an artist’s work?
I believe that all artist have to continually study to stay relevant with mediums, textures and new techniques. And it is very important for an artist to also have a business and marketing background and education to be able to understand those areas that are critically important to succeeding in the field.
Which function does the artist fulfill in society?
I think that art and culture is extremely important to a society. It allows us to grow and expand our vision of the world. Schools need to educate children early on from grade school about art, music and other creative fields and teach them the impact and importance that art has on the quality of life. Cities must continue to provide funding for public art and require development to incorporate art and great architectural design into every project. More cities need to adopt initiatives that provide public funding for the arts as it educates people on the importance of cultural diversity which is the backbone of a community and our society.
What do you want your artwork to stand for?
I would like my paintings to have meaning for people and evoke their emotions and feelings. My work aims to convey harmony, and inner peace. I hope my paintings have a special meaning for the person that acquires them and that my art is a vehicle to communicate and that it makes a special connection between the viewer and me. My goal is that my artwork inspires a memory, or special moment in that viewer’s life where they had joy, happiness or other emotions. My art also expresses the gratitude I feel for life and it captures the emotions I felt as I was creating each individual piece. I hope that I am remembered as someone that inspired others to pursue this rewarding career and that was able to give back to my community with my life’s work.
What are your long-term goals for your career?
My future goals are to continue to exhibit in Europe and Asia and to keep learning new techniques, and concepts in the art world that will further my growth and offer new opportunities for my artwork and my studio.
I also want to continue my work helping my community. I am proud to be a voice and an encouragement for Hispanic women and for small business owners that we can make a difference in this world if we persevere, believe in ourselves and create a network of support from one another. Though my journey has not been an easy one, I strive each day to be loving, give back and I am very grateful for my life, my family and all the blessings that I have been given.
