Toa Castellanos

Toa was born in Santiago de Cuba and arrived in the United States in 1961. She studied Art in Michigan and at Notre Dame University in Indiana. In 1974, she moved to Cali, Colombia, where she began her work as an artist and a printer. She has exhibited in Colombia, Cuba, and the United States, especially in Miami, where she relocated in 2000 and now lives and works.

A Journey of a lifetime

-The art by Toa Castellanos expresses and applies decades of creative skill and imagination using techniques acquired through a lifetime of experiences marked by exile.

Her unique artwork on display here spans various mediums, including painting, sculpture, and mixed-media art, with a simple yet modern style, and minimalist looks, using chaos to express feeling.

Vivid colors, remarkable patterns, and dreamy undertones reveal the artist's 'islander soul' clashing with the reality of living in a concrete jungle.

Cuba molded her until she immigrated to the United States at age 13, but her life in Colombia and later her return to the US transformed her worldview.

-Daniel Renjifo (Journalist and Toa's son.)

-Toa Castellanos has been working in different media and disciplines for the last few years, as attested by the multiple textile, graphics, drawing, mixed media and painting works where she has exhibited her artistic mastery.

This time Castellanos is coming in strong at St. Thomas University Library exhibition space. We have been accustomed to her exquisite drawing skills and sharp observational skills. Her series of drawings of children immersed in their play, underlined by small areas of color that complete this playful and emotional reality in a profound organic way allows us to enjoy their antics and understand their inner world thanks to her wonderful representational skills.

Her series Art Watchers is a sharp analysis of the posture that people assume in front of art. Through their posture and stance she remits us to the realm of galleries and museums, where our experience dwells in that world between the physical, the mind and the spirit.

She leaves nothing to chance; her sharp details, coloring and pose guides us to understand and participate in their artistic viewing experience.

We are indeed pleased to enjoy this exquisite showing of Toa Castellanos’ work.

- Yovani Bauta (Artist and Colleague)