Omar Castillo Alfaro

Omar Castillo Alfaro’s practice is rooted in the artisanal traditions passed down through his family and in a symbolic archaeology of Mesoamerican heritage. His work does not seek to construct a linear historical narrative, but rather to excavate the layers of a fragmented identity, shaped by the sociopolitical processes that have shaped Mexico from pre-Hispanic times to the present day. Working with earth and clay, candles, bird feathers, and stone sculpture, he creates immersive installations that breathe new life into the mythologies conveyed by these ancestral techniques.

Rooted in a Mesoamerican futurist philosophy, Castillo Alfaro employs these techniques as alternative aesthetic tools to interrogate colonial and postcolonial history. Crystallization, metamorphosis, and transformation allow him to foster a dialogue between worlds—the dead and the living, water and earth—while maintaining a critical distance from the narratives of Modernity.

Biography

Omar Castillo Alfaro (born in 1991, Mexico) is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice is rooted in the traditional craft skills passed down through his family. He initially studied metallurgical chemistry at the Universidad Autónoma Nacional de México (2014), where he also earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (2018), before graduating from the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Lyon in 2022.

His research has led him to collaborate with ethnographic institutions such as the Musée du Quai Branly (Paris), the Museo de América (Madrid), and the British Museum (London). His work has recently been exhibited at PhotoEspaña, the Centre Pompidou-Metz, and the Limburg Biennial (2024), and he has presented performances at the Museo Reina Sofía and the Gaîté Lyrique (2025) and at the Centre Pompidou in Paris (2024). He has been a resident at the Cité Internationale des Arts (Paris, 2023), the Casa de Velázquez (Madrid, 2024–2025), Gasworks (London, 2026), and La Becque (Vevey, 2026). He received the Young Talent Award at ARCO Madrid 2025.

Recent exhibitions

2026	A Light That Never Goes Out, group exhibition, Fonderie Darling, Montréal, CA Aquí el horizonte, group exhibition, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Juan Soriano, Morelos, MX
2025	Nocturas, group exhibition, Photo España x Casa de Velázquez, Madrid, ES Remèdes et Poisons - Acte I, group exhibition, Tropiques Atrium (Galerie La Véranda), MQ Remèdes et Poisons - Acte II, group exhibition, Tropiques Atrium (Galerie La Véranda), MQ El fantasma de Tennessee, group exhibition, Marcelle Alix Gallery, Paris, FR Mecánica vegetal Vol.7, group exhibition, Guadalajara 90210 Gallery, Mexico, MX Our Souls at Night, group exhibition, Umberto di Marino Gallery, Naples, IT Desplazarse, performance, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, ES Viva Villa, performance, Gaîté Lyrique, Paris, FR
2024	Tototl, solo exhibition, Centre Pompidou-Metz, Metz, FR Naab - Taanaj, solo exhibition, Guadalajara 90210 Gallery, Mexico, MX Naab, solo exhibition, Institut Culturel du Mexique, Paris, FR LIV®E LIVE Post-Performance Future. Method/e, performance, Centre Pompidou-Paris, Paris, FR Limburg Biënnale, group exhibition, Venray and Maastricht, NL Cruella De-Vil, group exhibition, Galerie Sultana, Arles, FR Odisea Escandón, group exhibition, Guadalajara 90210 Gallery, Mexico, MX
2023	Archaeology of Taste, solo exhibition, Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, FR Another Land, group exhibition, Pilar, Brussels, BE 67e Salon de Montrouge, group exhibition, Montrouge, FR Les Sillons #1, group exhibition, Centre d'art contemporain de la Ferme du Buisson, Noisiel, FR 100 % l’EXPO, group exhibition, Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris, FR