Castaldo´s work
Lluís Castaldo i París (1936)
- Biographical summary based on the document "CASTALDO from painting to ceramics"
- Lluís Castaldo i París (born in Sóller, 1936) is a renowned Mallorcan artist specialising in ceramics, engraving and painting. He began his artistic training at the Escuela de Artes y Oficios in Palma, then continued at the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes in Barcelona. Although he initially dedicated himself to painting, he soon discovered his passion for ceramics, a discipline in which he excelled throughout his career, establishing himself as a national benchmark.
- Over the years, Castaldo has created numerous pieces using the lathe technique and has been the author of large-format murals, such as the one located in the Parc de la Mar in Palma and the works that we have the privilege of finding in the Marinda Garden Aparthotel. He has also contributed to projects in emblematic buildings, such as Can Ferragut, the old Gesa building and the Joan March hospital, among others. All these works and many more have been created from his studio in Sóller, and from there his work has been projected internationally.
- Ceramic murals are large-scale works that automatically become public works, accessible to all. Regarding the murals, Castaldo argues the following:
"In the installation, it all comes together bit by bit, evoking the message we had assigned to it; meaning, matter, form, light and colour, like a final symbiosis of will, energy and time... in short, a certain human symbiosis". - His artistic career was influenced by his friendship with Joan Miró, with whom he worked closely. He was also part of the Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró in Mallorca in its early stages, contributing to its development.
- He received the title of Illustrious Son of Sóller in 2016, in recognition of his contribution to art and impact on the community. In 2024, his legacy was honoured with the release of the documentary Les formes infinites. Lluís Castaldo, essència i existència d'un ceramista, which discusses his life and work, as well as his influence on contemporary ceramic art.
- Castaldo's artistic work combines ceramic tradition with an innovative perspective, taking a different approach to the turned object, which respects the tradition and history of the pieces and leaves a significant mark on the cultural panorama of Mallorca and beyond.
