Pablo Castañeda

The artist Pablo Castañeda lives and works in Mexicali, the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California, right on the border with California in the United States. Pablo is one of the best and most productive painters in the region, according to artists and curators who know him and collectors who buy his work. His paintings have been shown in many exhibitions on both sides of the border, still there must be hundreds, if not thousands of them hidden in his home and in his studio, waiting to be discovered.

Video of a studio visit with Pablo Castañeda:

Pablo Castañeda about his life and work on the U.S. – Mexico border:

“Mi pintura se desarrolla entre la abstracción y la figuración para encontrar belleza, magia y tragedia en eso que llaman frontera.”

“My work is between abstract and figurative to find beauty, magic and tragedy in what they call border.”

(short bio, google-translated from Spanish, below):

Pablo Castañeda (Mexicali, 1973). He holds a degree in Graphic Design from the Universidad Iberoamericana de Tijuana and has participated in master courses at CEART in Mexicali.

In 2007 it receives Prizes, the 16 plastic Biennial of Baja California, The 11 Biennial of Arts of the Northwest. In 2009, he won the 17 Biennial of Plastic Arts in Baja California. In 2010 he received the 1st Biennial L. Cetto Arte Contemporáneo. He participated in the experimental laboratory of Drawing on wall imparted by Hugo Crosthwaite.

In 2011 he obtained the grant from the National System of Art Creators / FONCA. He participated in the project collaborating Beyond the inner sphere in Los Angeles.

In 2012 receives honorary mention the 3 Biennial of painting Pedro Coronel. He participated in the exhibition project collaborating Exploring memories of self in Beijing. Participated in the collective project Radical Localism in New York. Collectively exhibited Baja at the top collection of Alonso Elias, Steppling Art Gallery, Calexico. In 2013 participated in the collective project Yo, contained in Cecut. Individually exhibited Documents in Mexicali Rose.

In 2014 participated in the mural project collaborating Mexicali’s Urban art in Crocker art Museum, sacramento. Receives honorable mention in the 9 Photographic Biennial in Baja California. Collectively displayed Signs and desire: Contemporary art in Baja California UABC Museum.

In 2015 he participated in the mural project collaborating with Us Park in Calexico. Participated the project collaborating Review Glocal Review TJINCHINA in CECUT. He exhibited individually De Pictura in La Blástula Gallery, Tijuana. He participated in the collective project Trait in Art Gallery Depto 4. He receives the 15 Biennial of Visual Arts of the Northwest. Collectively exhibited the Elias + Fontes Historia / Relato collection.

In 2016 individually exhibited Expectation in CECUT. He participated in the collective project Chicali 13 in OCCCA, Los Angeles. Exhibited individually Author / portraits in ICBC Tijuana main gallery.

He has done individual exhibitions, his project of post-figurative painting and Mexican post-abstraction as beneficiary of FONCA. He has participated in international exhibitions in New York, Bangkok, El Paso, Washington D.C., San Miguel de Allende, Munich, Paris, Sacramento, Beijing and Los Angeles. His work has been selected in the 10 Biennial FEMSA, the 5 International Biennial of Standards, the 7th National Biennial of Painting and Engraving Alfredo Zalce, The 3rd Bangkok triennale international print and drawing, the 3 Bienal Ciudad Juárez / El paso Biennial, 6 National Biennial of Visual Arts of Yucatan among others. Among them are MACO Monterrey, CECUT, Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso among others.

Pablo Castañeda (Mexicali, 1973). Es licenciado en Diseño Gráfico por la Universidad Iberoamericana de Tijuana y ha participado en cursos magistrales en el CEART en Mexicali.

En 2007 recibe Premios, la 16 Bienal plástica de Baja California, La 11 Bienal de Artes Plásticas del Noroeste. En 2009 obtiene premio la 17 Bienal plástica de Baja California. En 2010 recibe premio la 1 Bienal L. A. Cetto Arte Contemporáneo. Participó en el taller de Laboratorio experimental de Dibujo en pared impartido por Hugo Crosthwaite.

En 2011 obtiene la beca del Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte / FONCA. Participó el proyecto colaborando Beyond the inner sphere en Los Ángeles.

En 2012 recibe mención honorifica la 3 Bienal de pintura Pedro Coronel. Participó en el proyecto expuesto colaborando Exploring memories of self en Beijing. Participó en el proyecto colectivo Radical Localism en Nueva York. Exhibió de manera colectiva Baja at the top collection of Alonso Elias, Steppling Art Gallery, Calexico. En 2013 participó en el proyecto colectivo Yo, contenido en Cecut. Exhibió de manera individual Documentos en Mexicali Rose.

En 2014 participó en el proyecto mural colaborando Mexicali´s Urban art en Crocker art Museum, sacramento. Recibe mención honorifica en la 9 Bienal fotográfica en Baja California. Exhibió de manera colectiva Signos y deseo: Arte contemporáneo en Baja California en Museo UABC.

En 2015 participó el proyecto mural colaborando Nosotros Park en Calexico. Participó el proyecto colaborando Revisión Glocal Review TJINCHINA en CECUT. Exhibió de manera individual De Pictura en Galería La Blástula, Tijuana. Participó en el proyecto colectivo Rasgo en Galería de arte Depto 4. Recibe Premio la 15 Bienal de Artes Visuales del Noroeste. Exhibió de manera colectiva La colección Elias + Fontes Historia / Relato.

En 2016 exhibió de manera individual Expectativa en CECUT. Participó en el proyecto colectivo Chicali 13 en OCCCA, Los Angeles. Exhibió de manera individual Autor/retratos en Galería principal ICBC Tijuana.

Ha realizado exposiciones individuales, siendo su proyecto de La pintura posfigurativa y postabstracción mexicana como beneficiario del FONCA. Ha participado en exposiciones internacionales en Nueva York, Bangkok, El paso, Washington D.C., San Miguel de Allende, Munich, Paris, Sacramento, Beijing y Los Angeles. Su obra ha sido seleccionada en la 10 Bienal FEMSA, la 5 Bienal internacional de Estandartes, la 7 Bienal nacional de Pintura y Grabado Alfredo Zalce, The 3rd Bangkok triennale international print and drawing, la 3 Bienal Ciudad Juárez/El paso Biennial, la 6 Bienal Nacional de Artes Visuales de Yucatán entre otros. Entre los que destacan MACO Monterrey, CECUT, Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso entre otros.