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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. His production of iconic and playful art objects such as
sculptures Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
produced in steel and
paintings Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...
that resemble
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantin ...
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 Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,960,048 people. It was foun ...
in the Philippines. He is currently an assistant professor at the
University of the Philippines Integrated School A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...
in
Diliman Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,960,048 people. It was foun ...
, 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 The Cultural Center of the Philippines ( fil, Sentrong Pangkultura ng Pilipinas, or CCP) is a government-owned and controlled corporation established to preserve, develop and promote arts and culture in the Philippines.Presidential Decree No. ...
, 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, while garnering international awards and recognition in the Southeast Asian region and beyond.


Education

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 The National Museum of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Museo ng Pilipinas}) is an umbrella government organization that oversees a number of national museums in the Philippines including ethnographic, anthropological, archaeological, and visu ...
.


Critical acclaim

Del Castillo has been noted for playing with the themes of war and religion,
childhood A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger t ...
and lost
innocence Innocence is a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence is to the lack of legal guilt of an individual, with respect to a crime. In other contexts, it is a lack of experience. In relatio ...
, and the transformation of
meaning Meaning most commonly refers to: * Meaning (linguistics), meaning which is communicated through the use of language * Meaning (philosophy), definition, elements, and types of meaning discussed in philosophy * Meaning (non-linguistic), a general te ...
through time. 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." 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, ultimately embracing the act of production itself as the main motive of his art, samples of which have been praised as not only "playful but also powerful." By accomplishing such feats, he has been said to communicate the essence of transformation, technological advancement, and enlightenment by creating culturally informed imagery. Meanwhile, others see his work as symbolic of rigid modernity where "life is a lackluster cycle."


Commercial success

Several works by the artist have been sold at auction, including "Toy Soldier 4" at Salcedo Auctions.


Solo exhibitions of Del Castillo

*2003 ''Mutiny'',
Cultural Center of the Philippines The Cultural Center of the Philippines ( fil, Sentrong Pangkultura ng Pilipinas, or CCP) is a government-owned and controlled corporation established to preserve, develop and promote arts and culture in the Philippines.Presidential Decree No. ...
(CCP),
Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasay; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 440,656 people. Due to its location j ...
, Philippines *2005 ''Under One Roof'', Small Gallery, CCP, Manila, Philippines *2007 ''Crossing Boundaries'', Art Space, Makati, PH; ''Anton del Castillo'', International Studio and Curatorial Program, Rm 704, NY, USA *2009 ''Psych War'', Alliance Total Gallery, Makati, Philippines *2009 ''Conquistador'', NOVA Gallery, Makati, Philippines *2010 ''Retrospective Play'', Outerspace Gallery, The Collective, Makati, Philippines *2011 ''Unwanted Fate: New Works by Anton del Castillo'', Altro Mondo Arte Contemporanea Gallerie, Makati, Philippines *2012 ''In the Landscape of Having to Repeat'', Altro Mondo Arte Contemporanea Gallerie, The Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences, Makati, Philippines *2012 ''Tribulation'', Now Gallery, Makati, Philippines *2012 ''Iconodulum'', Now Gallery, Makati, Philippines *2013 ''Traffic Signs'', Now Gallery, Makati, Philippines *2013 ''BUENVIAJE: An Ode to Good Voyage'',
UP Vargas Museum The Jorge B. Vargas Museum & Filipiniana Research Center, simply known as the UP Vargas Museum, is a museum located at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman campus which houses the collection of art, stamps and coins, library, personal ...
*2013 ''Absence'', Canvas Gallery and Garden, Quezon City, Philippines *2014 ''Anatomy to Flight'', Altro Mondo Arte Contemporanea Gallerie, The Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences,
Makati Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentratio ...
, Philippines


Group exhibitions

*2000 ''Resurrecting the Past'', National Museum of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines *2003 ''One by One'',
Ayala Museum The Ayala Museum is a museum in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is run privately by the Ayala Foundation and houses archaeological, ethnographic, historical, fine arts, numismatics, and ecclesiastical exhibits. Since its establishment in ...
, Makati, Philippines *2004 ''First Exhibition of International Art Expo Korea'',
Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...
, South Korea *2007 ''Outbound'', Ateneo Art Awards, Makati, Philippines *2007 ''A Question of Perspective'',
Asian Cultural Council The Asian Cultural Council (ACC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing international cultural exchange between Asia and the U.S. and between the countries of Asia through the arts. Founded by John D. Rockefeller III in 1963, AC ...
, The Lee Gardens, Hong Kong, China *2007 ''The Most Curatorial Biennal of the Universe'', Apexart Gallery, New York, United States *2008 ''Art Beijing'', Beijing, China *2008 ''Up in monochromes'', UNESCO Salle de pas Perdu, Paris, France *2009 ''LARASATI'', HT Contemporary Art Space, Singapore *2009 ''Cultural Warfare'', Big and Small Gallery, Makati, Philippines *2011 ''Topak, All in the Mind'', UP Vargas Museum, Quezon City, Philippines *2011 ''Flowershow: Contemporary Takes on the Floral'', Krem Contemporary Art, Quezon City, Philippines *2014 ''Design Insights Philippines'', Yuchengco Museum, Makati, Philippines *2014 ''A Child's Memory'',
Ateneo Art Gallery The Ateneo Art Gallery is a museum of modern art of the Ateneo de Manila University. It is the first of its kind in the Philippines. It serves as an art resource for the university community and the general public as well. The Gallery is located ...
, Quezon City, Philippines *2014 ''PIGS Politics, Immortality, Gods and Society'', Helutrans Artspace, Singapore


Recognition and fellowships

*1995 Finalist, oil category, 28th Shell National Students Art Competition *1997 Finalist, oil category, Shell National Students Art Competition, Manila *1999 Finalist, Winton and Newton Millennium International Art Competition, Museo ng Maynila *1999 Semi-finalist, oil category, Metrobank Foundation Young Painters Annual Art Competition *2002 Semi-finalist, oil category, Metrobank Foundation Young Painters Annual Art Competition *2002 Special Prize, 7th Letras Y Figuras National Painting Competition,
Metropolitan Museum The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
, Manila *2003 Honorable mention, mixed media category, 56th Art Association of the Philippines Competition *2003 Grand Prize, oil category, Metrobank Young Painters Painting Annual Art Competition *2003 1st place, oil category, Metrobank Young Painters Painting Annual Art Competition *2004 1st place, 1st Filipino Youth Cultural Expo Painting Competition, Manila *2005 Alternate Freeman Fellowship Grant,
Vermont Studio Center The Vermont Studio Center (VSC) is a non-profit arts organization located in the town of Johnson, Vermont. It conducts the largest fine arts and writing residency program in the United States, with a significant population of international artis ...
, United States *2006 Short-listed,
Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten The Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten (State Academy of Fine Arts) was founded in 1870 in Amsterdam. It is a classical academy, a place where philosophers, academics and artists meet to test and exchange ideas and knowledge. The school supports ...
, Amsterdam, Netherlands *2006 Semi-finalist, Beppu Asia Biennial of Contemporary Art, Beppu Art Museum,
Beppu is a city in ÅŒita Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. As of March 31, 2017, the city had a population of 122,643
, Oita, Japan *2006 Short-listed, Ateneo Arts Award for the exhibition ''Under One Roof'' *2006 ACC Fellowship residency, ISCP *2006 Grantee, Sovereign Foundation Hong Kong Fellowship Grant *2006 Finalist, Philip Morris Philippines Arts Award, 2006 National Painting Competition *2006 Grantee, Asian Cultural Council Grant, International Studio and Curatorial Program, New York City, United States *2011 Finalist, Tanaw Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas National Art Competition, Manila, Philippines *2011 Schoeni Prize, Sovereign Asian Art Competition, Hong Kong, China *2012 Finalist, Oita Asian Sculpture Competition, ÅŒita, Japan *2012 Finalist, Oita Asian Sculpture Competition, ÅŒita, Japan *2012 Finalist, Oita Asian Sculpture Competition, ÅŒita, Japan *2014 Artist II rank, Arts Productivity System Award, University of the Philippines, Diliman *2014 Finalist, Oita Asian Sculpture Competition, ÅŒita, Japan *2014 Metrobank Foundation Award for Continuing Excellence and Service (ACES) *2014 Jurors Choice, Metro Manila Winner, Philip Morris Philippines Arts Award, Manila *2014 Schoeni Prize,Kriti Bajaj (September 5, 2014)
"Sovereign Asian Art Prize 2014: Hong Kong’s Adrian Wong wins top award"
''ArtRadar''.
Sovereign Asian Art Competition, Hong Kong, China


References


Sources

*Flores, Patrick. "Motifs of War", Nova Gallery catalogue. *Jalbuena, Samito. "The game theory of Anton del Castillo", ''
BusinessMirror The ''BusinessMirror'' is a daily business newspaper in the Philippines founded in 2005 by Antonio Cabangon Chua, who was also its publisher and the owner of radio network Aliw Broadcasting Corporation. As of September 2011, ''BusinessMirror'' ...
'', December 2, 2014. *Jalbuena, Samito. "Portraits for the end of the world", ''
BusinessMirror The ''BusinessMirror'' is a daily business newspaper in the Philippines founded in 2005 by Antonio Cabangon Chua, who was also its publisher and the owner of radio network Aliw Broadcasting Corporation. As of September 2011, ''BusinessMirror'' ...
'', January 27, 2015.


External links


Official websiteAltromondo Gallerie artist profileNow Gallery artist profileArtNet profileArtsy profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Del Castillo, Anton 1976 births Living people Filipino painters Filipino sculptors People from Tondo, Manila Artists from Metro Manila University of the Philippines Diliman alumni