Jose Castro was born in Matanzas, Cuba, in 1947. In 1961 he emigrated to Miami as an unaccompanied minor through Operation Pedro Pan, where he has lived ever since. His life and artwork have been shaped by experiences of displacement, survival, assimilation, and the subtle yet enduring pull of memory and place.

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He graduated from the University of Miami in 1972 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. Castro’s professional career evolved from architecture into interior design, practicing in several prominent Miami design firms before establishing his own practice. He is well traveled and fluent in both Spanish and English, with conversational proficiency in French.

 

Years later after retiring in 2003, Castro turned his focus fully toward the visual arts, driven by a longstanding desire for personal and creative expression. The foundational principles of architecture and design—structure, spatial awareness, balance, and materiality—provided a seamless transition into painting, photography, mixed media and sculpture.

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Castro initially worked in classroom/studio settings in Miami under the tutelage of the late Cuban master Baruj Salinas, and later with Argentine visual artist Pablo Contrisciani. He currently works as a full-time artist in his private studio and home in Miami. Works of artists such as Baruj Salinas, Gerhard Richter, and Anselm Kiefer have played an influential role in his art.

 

Kelley Roy Gallery in West Palm Beach, Florida provides online representation through 1stDibs. His artwork is in private collections throughout South Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts and California in the U.S. and in London, UK. Details available upon request.

 

 

 

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