Hector Castillo
On illustrating for this project:
Looking back at my experience with COVID, I relived the physical aches and the annoyingly, persistent cough and quarantined in a room for the sake of others and remembering forcing myself to rest despite being an athlete. I remembered the "I wonder when this will end. I wonder when I'll be back to normal" self talk. I empathize with these stories and can only imagine it being Long COVID and the mental stress that comes to put ones life on hold. The way that I interpreted these stories was by imagining images that resonated with the hope and resilience that these people exerted and of the people around them that made pulling through it possible. I sought those memories, and emotions and designed renditions from it the best I could because to amplify hope, resilience and self affirmations is what, in my opinion, helps someone when in these experiences or even other life challenges. Primary credence to individuals in an experience.
I feel like the common thread of fortitude here whether physically incarcerated or feeling incarcerated in ones own body lies interlinked between the qualities of hope, resiliency, support, and given a chance. One is still human and deserves to be treated and seen in that way.
[I hope] that the person's story illustrated in this exhibit through Stitching The Situation connects with others and impacts these visitors in a way that they carry away with them hope, determination, strength and empathy. That is important to me as an artist, and I feel like I have done my work. Lastly, being a visual artist, I am constantly seeking for art projects to do on the side while still being a bilingual instructor and tutor for others in pursuit of their High School Equivalency Diploma or College Degree. I invite the public if they have art projects, to please reach out.
Hector Castillo
Castillo is a self-taught artist from Huntington Beach, California. As a child, he first learned to make art by sketching freeze frames of his favorite cartoons. As a teenager, he experimented with Chicano art, calligraphy, and graffiti.
Castillo began working seriously in acrylic and oil in his mid-twenties while incarcerated in the Colorado Department of Corrections. His paintings have been featured in numerous exhibitions, including shows at the McNichols Building in Denver; the Marion Gallery at SUNY Fredonia; the Museum of Art Fort Collins; the Colorado State Capitol; and the Boulder Public Library.
Through his artwork, Hector hopes to inspire viewers—especially those unfamiliar with the prison system—to become more confident, goal-driven, and imaginative. He also strives to advocate for meaningful prison and justice system reform. He wants people to see that an artist in prison can still contribute beauty, truth, and transformation to the world.