Mayté Castillo Interview
Learn more about Mayté Castillo in an interview for Pearl.
Mayté is a Boston-based artist of many mediums, primarily working with gouache, watercolor, and collage. Art gave her language and an outlet for her emotions for much of her childhood, while words were not something she could not as easily express to others. It was the one thing that she felt connected her to the world around her. Mayté’s art sources from her personal experiences of being Black and Latinx while intersecting transracial adoption. Her paintings hold stories of identity, loss, trauma, self-reclamation, and the importance of connection between humans, nature, ancestor, and spirit. Her art practice is an essential part of her healing journey, and she hopes it aids in healing the collective.
Artist Statement
My work is a meditation practice. “Art as medicine” is literally what my art practice is for me and it is the intention that I put into my paintings. It is a process of self-inquiry and allowing the flow of energy and emotions. The combination of imagery and stories that come through intuitively, while mindfully choosing colors, textures and finer details is why I call myself an “intuitive artist.” It’s like bringing together an ethereal spirit and methodical mind. My pieces are a personal exploration, or re-membering of the Afro-Latina identity, touching on individual expression within the self, with nature and spirit, and within a greater community.
Instagram: @mayteifeya
Personal website
images of work
