Elmer Castillo, Cuba, 1970
Education
- Elementary Arts School Guantanamo, Cuba
- Information Technology, University of Alcala de Henares
- Art History from baroque to postmodernism, University of Palermo
- Modern and Contemporary Art and Design, MoMA New York
He held his first solo exhibition “Sketches from My Village” at La Celosía Gallery in Guantánamo, Cuba in 1998.
He was founder and designer of Viña Joven magazine for the Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba between 1999 and 2003, where he also contributed articles on art. During the early 2000's, he served as a curatorial member of the Religious Art Salon in Santiago de Cuba.
In 2002, he settled in Madrid, expanding his artistic practice into design and photography. He has taken part in group exhibitions in Havana, Miami, Bergamo, Madrid, Dortmund, Warsaw among others.
In 2013, he presented his first solo exhibition in the United States with the series Cathedrals of Cuba at the Hartford Public Library in Connecticut.
Since 2016, Elmer Castillo has been based in Miami, where he continues to pursue his passion for innovation in contemporary art. He collaborates with Miami-Dade County in cultural events and serves as Events Advisor and Curator of audiovisual exhibitions at La Mansión Castillo in Havana.
He has been working in his series “Palimpsests” since 2024 when he presented his solo exhibition at the 15 Havana Biennale.
He has written the books “Art & Habanos. Smoke and Brushstrokes” and “Homenaje a Celia Cruz en Cuba”.
He has received several awards and recognitions including First Prize at The ExpoCaribe Fair, Nomination to Premio Guamo and a Certificate of Appreciation from the Mayor of Miami-Dade County for his active participation at the Hispanic Heritage Month Art Exhibition in 2025.
His artworks are present in private and public collections such as The Cuba OCHO Museum in Miami, The Residence of the United Kingdom Ambassador in Havana, The Emilio Cueto Collection in Washington DC, The Celia Cruz Foundation, The Spanish Embassy in Havana and other collections in United States, Spain, Italy, Hong Kong, among others.
Recent Solo Exhibitions
- Homenaje a Celia Cruz, Havana, Cuba, 2025
- Art&Habanos. Smoke & Brushstrokes, InterTabac Dortmund, Germany, 2025
- Nada Soy Sin Caridad, La Mansion Castillo, La Habana, Cuba, 2024
- Palimpsestos. 15th Bienal de la Habana, La Mansion Castillo, Havana, Cuba, 2024
- Hatuey y Guarina, Historia de amor. ViHUMOS, Havana, Cuba, 2023
Recent Group Exhibitions
- The Art of the Spectacle, Art Center Sarasota, Florida, USA, 2026
- Hispanic Heritage Month Art Exhibition. Steven P Clark Center, Miami, Florida, USA, 2025
- Mundo Habanos. Festival de Habanos 2024. Mansión Castillo. Cuba
- Detrás del Muro. Bienal de la Habana. Havana, Cuba, 2024
- Vuelve a nosotros tus ojos. La Caridad nos une”. Cuba Ocho Museum & Performing Arts Center. Miami. USA, 2023
Memberships
- Member of the Visual Artists Association
