Anton Del Castillo | |
---|---|
Born | Julius Anthony Del Castillo January 13, 1976
Tondo, Manila, Philippines |
Nationality | Filipino |
Education | College of Fine Arts, University of the Philippines, Quezon City |
Known for | Pop art, mixed-media installations, modern art, figurative art, conceptual art |
Anton Del Castillo (born in 1976 in Tondo, Manila, Philippines) is a multi-awarded and critically acclaimed Filipino visual artist known for the stunning craftsmanship and meticulous design of his artworks that meditate on critiques of modernism and contemporary life. [1] His production of iconic and playful art objects such as sculptures produced in steel and paintings that resemble Byzantine icons, aside from other projects, have earned him recognition not only as an artist but as a master artisan and craftsman.
Del Castillo lives and works in Quezon City in the Philippines. He is currently an assistant professor at the University of the Philippines Integrated School in Diliman, Quezon City, and Assistant Professor I, Artist II, at the University of the Philippines, also in Quezon City.
Del Castillo inaugurated his artistic career by opening his first one-man show at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila, in 2005. He has since then taken part in solo and group exhibitions in Beijing, Hong Kong, New York, Malaysia, Singapore, Tokyo and Manila, [2] while garnering international awards and recognition in the Southeast Asian region and beyond.
Del Castillo received his BFA and MFA degrees from the College of Fine Arts, University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, the Philippines. He is also a trained art restorer, having undertaken training in the restoration department of the National Museum of the Philippines. [3]
Del Castillo has been noted for playing with the themes of war and religion, childhood and lost innocence, and the transformation of meaning through time. [4] In series dealing with warfare in multimedia works and ancient and contemporary icons in gold leaf paintings, his intention has been said "to showcase the similarities of belief towards achieving peace, which is the precedent of war or vice versa." [5] Inspired also by his own childhood memories, Del Castillo, in other series such as his metal works and mixed media toys, also attempts to refashion innocence and playfulness amidst the locus of art and its seriousness, [6] ultimately embracing the act of production itself as the main motive of his art, [7] samples of which have been praised as not only "playful but also powerful." [8] By accomplishing such feats, he has been said to communicate the essence of transformation, technological advancement, and enlightenment [9] by creating culturally informed imagery. Meanwhile, others see his work as symbolic of rigid modernity where "life is a lackluster cycle." [10]
Several works by the artist have been sold at auction, including "Toy Soldier 4" [11] at Salcedo Auctions.
Anton Del Castillo | |
---|---|
Born | Julius Anthony Del Castillo January 13, 1976
Tondo, Manila, Philippines |
Nationality | Filipino |
Education | College of Fine Arts, University of the Philippines, Quezon City |
Known for | Pop art, mixed-media installations, modern art, figurative art, conceptual art |
Anton Del Castillo (born in 1976 in Tondo, Manila, Philippines) is a multi-awarded and critically acclaimed Filipino visual artist known for the stunning craftsmanship and meticulous design of his artworks that meditate on critiques of modernism and contemporary life. [1] His production of iconic and playful art objects such as sculptures produced in steel and paintings that resemble Byzantine icons, aside from other projects, have earned him recognition not only as an artist but as a master artisan and craftsman.
Del Castillo lives and works in Quezon City in the Philippines. He is currently an assistant professor at the University of the Philippines Integrated School in Diliman, Quezon City, and Assistant Professor I, Artist II, at the University of the Philippines, also in Quezon City.
Del Castillo inaugurated his artistic career by opening his first one-man show at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila, in 2005. He has since then taken part in solo and group exhibitions in Beijing, Hong Kong, New York, Malaysia, Singapore, Tokyo and Manila, [2] while garnering international awards and recognition in the Southeast Asian region and beyond.
Del Castillo received his BFA and MFA degrees from the College of Fine Arts, University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, the Philippines. He is also a trained art restorer, having undertaken training in the restoration department of the National Museum of the Philippines. [3]
Del Castillo has been noted for playing with the themes of war and religion, childhood and lost innocence, and the transformation of meaning through time. [4] In series dealing with warfare in multimedia works and ancient and contemporary icons in gold leaf paintings, his intention has been said "to showcase the similarities of belief towards achieving peace, which is the precedent of war or vice versa." [5] Inspired also by his own childhood memories, Del Castillo, in other series such as his metal works and mixed media toys, also attempts to refashion innocence and playfulness amidst the locus of art and its seriousness, [6] ultimately embracing the act of production itself as the main motive of his art, [7] samples of which have been praised as not only "playful but also powerful." [8] By accomplishing such feats, he has been said to communicate the essence of transformation, technological advancement, and enlightenment [9] by creating culturally informed imagery. Meanwhile, others see his work as symbolic of rigid modernity where "life is a lackluster cycle." [10]
Several works by the artist have been sold at auction, including "Toy Soldier 4" [11] at Salcedo Auctions.