Jorge Castillo

JORGE CASTILLO CASALDERREY (Pontevedra, 1933).
Untitled.
Bronze. Edition 1/6.
Signed, dated in New York, and numbered.
Measurements: 25 x 35 x 20 cm.
This bronze sculpture by Jorge Castillo is part of his characteristic expressionist style, in which the human figure appears distorted, fragmented, and imbued with intense psychological tension. The composition, in which two bodies are arranged in an almost organic manner on an irregular base, suggests an ambiguous scene straddling the narrative and the symbolic: there is no explicit action, but rather a physical relationship that evokes conflict, dependence, or transformation. Formally, the work stands out for its rough, gestural modeling, where the surface retains the traces of the sculptural process, reinforcing the idea of matter in constant flux. This treatment is particularly significant in bronze, a material historically valued for its durability, capacity for detail, and the evolution of its patina over time.
Jorge Castillo showed an exceptional talent for drawing: at just ten years old, he was already copying Peter Paul Rubens, whose work, according to the artist himself, later helped him understand the language of Cubism as practiced by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. Although his family moved to Buenos Aires shortly after his birth, Castillo returned to Europe in 1955 and settled in Madrid, where he met the art critic José María Moreno Galván, who helped him integrate into the art scene.In the late 1950s, he began exhibiting and selling his drawings, which were even appreciated by Antonio Saura, and he soon turned his focus to printmaking, a technique that would become one of his primary means of expression. His international reputation took off with his participation in the São Paulo Biennial in 1960, followed by major exhibitions and appearances at key events such as the Venice Biennale.
Since then, his work has been shown in museums and galleries around the world, cementing a distinguished career marked by numerous awards. Today, Castillo lives and works in New York’s SoHo, and his work is part of prominent international collections, reflecting a solid and deeply coherent career.