Today we’d like to introduce you to Johnny Castillo.
Hi Johnny, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Guatemala and was brought to Los Angeles, California at the age of five. I have experienced the American culture for 22 years now. By deconstructing my emotional and psychological experiences, I investigate my placement in America as a first-generation Guatemalan immigrant. I explore the idea of displacement and inhabiting an in-between world-a place where one never seems to have access to their home country or the American dream.
I remember arriving in LA with my family and struggling to fit in due to the language and cultural barriers. Art allowed me to connect with others in a way I could not verbally. I was always the kid in class who was asked to draw something, whether that was Spongebob characters, Disney characters, Yu-Gi-Oh, or Dragonball Z. Art allowed me to slowly fit in despite the challenges.
Art has always been a way to process information or experiences for me, emotional in most cases. I have vivid memories of sitting in front of a box television when I was younger and drawing along to cartoons, like Floyd in Space. As I got older, my interests shifted from drawing characters to Graffiti. In some way or another, I allowed myself to engage with my creative side in my journey.
In High School, I met my very first art teacher, Ms. Aubrey. She guided me through my AP Studio Art class, where I realized that art could potentially be more than a hobby. I will be forever thankful for Her. Upon graduating, I remember Ms. Aubrey asking me what my plans were after high school. I don’t remember how the entire conversation unfolded, but what I do remember is that she believed in me and my art so much that she forced me to apply to Otis College of Art and Design with my AP portfolio the day before the application was due. Shortly after, I was notified that I was accepted into the school and I will never forget how excited I felt at that moment.
I remember going to the welcome orientation at Otis with my family but also finding out that I would not be able to attend because of my legal status and the very limited aid that I would be offered. Long story short, I got accepted into Otis but quickly found out that I could not afford it. I decided that community college would be the best option for me, but now that I think about it, I think my experience at Otis inadvertently influenced my decisions from there on out.
I began to question whether Art was a career I should pursue considering I was a first-generation immigrant and all of the sacrifices that my parents made to get us here. I also had many people advise me against going to school for an Arts degree. This all led me to deviate from this path and explore different majors, drop out of majors, get tied into bad habits, and eventually drop out of school for a few years. During these years, I faced a lot of self-doubts, depression, and emotional breakdowns that I often kept to myself. I developed addictions as coping mechanisms and eventually hit what felt like rock bottom.
During these years, my older sister Dulce, who helped me out so much during this time, was offered acceptance into UC Berkeley. She asked me to move to Berkeley with her to keep her company, so I did knowing I had nothing going for me back home. This move allowed me to reflect upon my decisions and dig myself out of the addictions I had developed prior. I spent about three years in the Bay Area and selectively took art classes at Berkeley City College. I occasionally visited my family in LA during these three years. During one of my visits, I remember sharing an emotional conversation in the car with my mom as we drove to wherever we were headed. I remember telling my mom that I had no idea what I wanted to do but that I missed making Art like before. I don’t exactly remember how the conversation unfolded, but I do remember her saying, “Why don’t you just focus on your Art? You’ve always been good at it and you have been doing it for as long as I can remember.” I love my Mom so much for this conversation.
After I returned to LA, I went back to community college. I committed to pursuing Art, graduated with a BA in Studio Art in 2020, transferred to the School of Art in Cal State Long Beach, and I am now a few days away from graduating with a BFA in Drawing and Painting. I managed to get through school with scholarships and the DACA program for undocumented students.
Although these experiences were at times, horrible, I am still very thankful I experienced it all.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As I mentioned previously, my journey was not a smooth one. I faced a lot of struggles along the way, faced depression, addictions, self-doubts, etc. But through my art now, I hope to transform these horrible moments into beautiful stories that will allow others to feel safe and heard and that will allow me to investigate my placement in America as a first-generation Guatemalan immigrant.
Currently, I am managing Kline Academy of Fine Art, Teaching Drawing and Painting classes, and selling and showing works in galleries and museums. I knew always wanted to do this, and it is very humbling to think about the journey that got me to where I am today.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I primarily explore drawing and painting and at times dabble into mixed media works.
My paintings reveal the complex world of a first-generation Guatemalan immigrant raised in two different cultures. Through depictions of myself and my family, these images capture fragmented memories, uncertainties, and chaos. I aim to dramatize still moments, bringing to light the fragility of an immigrant’s legal status and the feeling of instability and impermanence that comes with it.
In each painting, I focus on a single- or multi-figurative narrative to explore the subtle nuances of the everyday immigrant experience. Inspired by 17th-century “Genre” painting, the impressionist movements of the “Flaneur,” and the idea of Absorption in 18th-century French painting, I seek to heighten seemingly ordinary moments while inviting my viewers to engage in a dialogue about intention, contemplation, psychological states, and a sense of belonging.
Drawing inspiration from both classical and contemporary figurative artists like John Singer Sergeant, Keita Morimoto, and Steven Assael, I employ traditional oil painting techniques such as glazing, scumbling, gestural marks, and thick-over-thin paint applications. My process is fragmentary, combining different memories into a single composition that doesn’t seem to fit in reality. Chromatic underlayers that evolve as color and values shift, varying mark-making, perspectival elements, and scale all contribute to the psychologically invested narrative of my compositions.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Success is an idea I have a hard time understanding. I believe that for me, as long as I remain genuine with my work and who I am, I am succeeding.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.johnnycastilloart.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.castl/
