Josie Del Castillo is a Brownsville artist who received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX, and is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX. Del Castillo has exhibited throughout the state of Texas, to name a few, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Dallas, and Lubbock, and most recently in California and New York. Del Castillo’s work is inspired by the people she admires most and can often be analyzed as a reflection of herself.
Self-worth and personal insecurities are common themes for Del Castillo, much of her work often deals with the subjects of mental health, self-esteem, and growing up in the Rio Grande Valley. For Del Castillo, the journey of acceptance and the understanding of mental health such as anxiety, are critical components of her work. Del Castillo, who has struggled with issues of body image and self-esteem, finds that being a portrait artist has given her a greater appreciation for the human form and self-worth, and draws from her personal and emotional connection to help capture the essence of each of her subjects.
Instead of emphasizing the dark connotations of mental illness and disorders, Del Castillo challenges and combats it positively and confidently with vibrant and colorful depictions of her subjects. Many of these works often include Mexican-American cultural iconography and people raised in the Brownsville/Matamoros border culture.
