Julio Castillo is an artist from Mérida, Yucatan, México, who represents a new generation of Mexican painters that portray the lives of indigenous Mexico.

Deeply influenced by Costa Rican artist Francisco Zúñiga, Julio draws and paints the native people in their own environment. His works speak of the quiet power and life force of a people struggling to preserve their way in a modern world. The strength of women, makes his work unique.

Born in 1951 in Mérida, Julio Castillo grew up in the city where he attended the Mérida School of Fine Arts when he was only 10. Over the years, as he has perfected his techniques and skills, his interest in art has consumed him. He has exhibited in more than 30 galleries and museums in Mexico during the past 23 years.

“My father abandoned my family when I was only four. It was very hard for my mother, Rinelda, who was left with four children. But she was a determined woman and she worked very hard to keep us together and to support our family. Always, I have liked drawing. When I was only 9 years of age, I began my life of art. As a young person, I would go to the cinema each Sunday to the matinee. Then, during the following week, I would begin to draw the scenes of the movies I had seen.

“When I was 10 years of age, my mother saw my pleasure for drawing and she took me to the School of Fine Arts in Mérida and enrolled me. It was there that I studied my first year of painting. I then started the next year, but could not continue because my family didn't have the resources. So my mother's plan for an artistic career for me was at an end. But my interest in art continued. It is my passion! I did not stop drawing or painting. Whenever I could, I studied from books, magazines of art and from other artisits. My drawing and painting have never stopped,” says Julio.

While living in Guadalajara, following 8 years in the military, Julio studied art in a community of artists who displayed their art each week in the Jardines del Arte and the Glorieta de Chapalita. It was there he met a Canadian artist who worked in pastel. From him, Julio began a passion for this medium to portray the human figure. The first formal showing of his art was in the summer of 1982, at the Gallery of Art in Sayula, Jalisco, Mexico.

Upon his return to Mérida, Yucatán in 1992, Julio joined Art-Ho, a group of noted contemporary artists in the capital city. In this art rich environment, Julio began to sketch, draw and paint the Maya, the indigenous people of the Yucatán. Drawing from his memory as a boy and the many Maya who lived in the small towns and pueblos across the peninsula, he enthusiastically began a body of art that continues today. In Mérida, he also instructs art to adults and children, teaching classes in drawing at a preparatory school.

“Many have asked, ‘Why is it in your paintings there are more women than men?’ My reply is that in Mexico, the indigenous woman fulfills an obligation that I believe a man would never take on. It is very common for a man to leave his home, breaking away from all responsibility and obligation. But these wonderful women, even in the most adverse situations, remain true to their families. It is their care and love that makes the home. My work is homage to these women and their identity.”

In April and May of 2005, Yucatan artist, Julio Castillo, completed his first art tour in the United States. Julio partnered with A Promise of Health, to raise money to bring healthcare to the Yucatan Maya who are portrayed in his art. During this tour, Julio Castillo and his art were enthusiastically received in Sacramento and Davis, California. In only 3 events in just two weeks, Julio has sold 10 originals, 21 Giclee prints and 31 sets of note cards. From these sales, Mr Castillo donated 80 percent to A Promise of Health for their healthcare programs.

In July 2006, Julio Castillo returned to the U.S. The purpose of the trip was to prospect for venues for his art in Colorado and New Mexico. His work was shown at the Sangre de Cristo Art Gallery in Pueblo, Colorado in February 2007 as part of an exhibition of Mexican artists. In May 2007, Julio was the “Artist of the Month” at the Koshare Indian Museum.

While in New Mexico, Julio learned of the Artist in Residency program at the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos, New Mexico. In 2008, he did a three-month stay to draw and paint the pueblo Indians of New Mexico for a combined showing of his works.

“Julio’s art is certainly impressive,” said Jane Jeffries at the R.C. Gorman Navajo Gallery in Taos. “I will certainly try to find galleries here, in advance of his visit, that he can contact with his portfolio.”

A Promise of Health continues as the exclusive agent for the sale of his works in the U.S. For each work sold, Julio continues to donate, for Maya healthcare, an incredible 70 percent of each sale.

 

Visit Julio Castillo's Website