Ape Castillo

Ape Castillo was born and lives in Manila. She is a graduate of Human Resource at De La Salle College of St. Benilde and also took a one-year basic course in PSID.

As a self-taught artist, Castillo has always been passionate about the arts. At age 10, she recalls there were times when, instead of playing, she would choose sketching as her recreation. The subjects she loved to sketch initially were flowers and animals. Inspired by her uncle, a fashion designer, she shared the same love for plants, leaves, petals, and flowers. She spent most of her childhood playing in his workshop, looking at the mood boards, and seeing them come alive in his fashion shows. This fueled her interest and imbued her with the ideals of creativity and craftsmanship.

Over time, her fondness for other art subjects became wider. In her paintings, she presents a new way of looking at everyday objects. With acrylic painting as her new medium, you would see in her artwork images of food and day-to-day objects in pop surrealism and pop art styles.

Through her artwork, Castillo intends to invoke her viewers to use their imagination to experience a different and magical world. Her painting style basically represents the child in her, through which she wishes to remind her audience that, like life, paintings don’t have to be always serious and that, just like life’s journey, art pieces should be enjoyed.

Castillo wishes to make a mark in the art industry, as this has always been her dream. She is hoping that by starting to join exhibits and exposing her works, this dream will, if not soon, later become a reality.