Ana Castillo
Techno, meta-paintings on denim and inspirational vibes of East-Germany: This the environment in which Ana Castillo’s inspiration thrives at the moment, inserting stories into other stories.
We love your meta paintings on the Levis 501. Now you have had a collaboration with @andrea_crews. It's kind of art meeting sustainable fashion in your case. How would you describe your work?
I am a self-taught artist and I have always been fascinated by the way people express themselves with clothes. I love to paint inspiring people I meet, and capture their personality through their style, and I want to paint this on clothes, like a "mise en abyme", that was the concept of the collaboration I did with @andrea_crews
The "Garden of death" oil painting on denim is a fantastic piece: what was its inspiration?
I was invited to this worldwide project by @plague_pro and @k.o.t.z to be part of a group show in Leipzig and the theme was death. I painted on jeans after cutting them like they do in the movies to take off the clothes from the corpse in the morgue. Then I painted a collage on it that I made with several images from vanities to screenshots of this 90's movie, that I watched again because the exhibition's title reminded me of it, Dellamorte Dellamore.
I realized that my spontaneous response to death was naively something related to pop culture. Then, with the Leipzig artists crew we went to shoot our pieces in a spooky place in a forest and we shooted the jeans in the water, floating surrounded by little water lilies. I loved the result and I like to see my paintings outside of a white wall.
How did you get to Leipzig - where did you live before?
I lived in Paris before Leipzig. I came here to participate in an art residency, it was my first time in Germany. At that time I wanted to leave Paris, but I didn't know where apart from Spain (I am half Spanish and have lived there before). Then I liked the vibe of Leipzig, I met interesting people, found a cool art scene and great techno culture!
What is our favorite dish in Germany so far?
The thing is I don't like meat much anymore and I am not a fan of potatoes.
Sooo hard to tell, I have to find out.
What gives you life at the moment?
My friends in Leipzig, they are like my second family.
Also going to my studio to paint listening to electronic music.
And now let's travel back to the future together: Where do you see yourself in 2040? What will your art look like, what will this planet look like and what will you look like?
In 2040 if I'm still alive, I see myself as an independent woman of almost 60 years, with a very cool style, a lot of energy, painting big colorful formats in a large sunny studio. I don't know which country.Laughing with my friends, always meeting new inspiring people. And about the planet I'm pessimistic, unfortunately the current situation is already bad. I'm curious if there will be any hope for change.
interview FRANCIS SALVATOR
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