Josie Del Castillo is a Brownsville artist who received her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Spring 2020. Del Castillo has exhibited throughout the Rio Grande Valley, and other Texas cities like Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Dallas, and Lubbock, and most recently in galleries in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York City. Del Castillo’s body of work focuses on the empowerment of the female form, personal growth, and growing up as Mexican American in La Frontera. Her work is a combination of self-portraits, portraits of people from her community, and landscapes from South Texas.
The concepts that I am currently focusing on vary from the appreciation of the female form, personal growth, and growing up as Mexican American in la Frontera. My body of work is a combination of self-portraits, portraits of people that I admire in my community, and landscapes from South Texas.
My subject matter varies depending on what I am experiencing at the moment. Some days, I am overwhelmed by my anxiety, while other days I am feeling comfortable in my skin. I find that being a figurative artist has given me a greater appreciation for the human form and has helped me gain a greater sense of self-awareness of my insecurities, my identity, and surroundings.
My color palette varies from vibrant and rich complementary colors to depict the juxtaposition of my two cultures. What we have here on the border is unique, and instead of focusing on the negativity, I rather depict our area with colorful depictions of the people and our land. In my latest work, I have been incorporating plants to signify growth. Just like plants, we all grow differently and have different needs. Lastly, I want the viewer to relate to my work and feel represented whether it is through my nude portraits, the Rio Grande Valley landscapes, or working on oneself.
