Aileen Castañeda
New York, USA, 1962
Biography Details
Sculptor, ceramist and graphic designer. She earned her BA from Drew University in Madison, NJ, and then went on to study art in Florence at the Studio Art Center International. In her return to Puerto Rico, where she has lived since the age of 8, begins to work as a graphic artist. She took ceramics courses at Casa Candina between 1985 and 1987. In 1990 she received an honorable mention at the second edition of the Biennial of Contemporary Puerto Rican Ceramics, organized by Casa Candina. She has taught ceramics courses at various institutions since 1988, including the School of Plastic Arts of Puerto Rico. In 1992 she joined the Board of Directors of Casa Candina and with them she organized exhibitions inside and outside of Puerto Rico, such as: the Casa Candina Awards: Biennial of Contemporary Puerto Rican Ceramics (1992-2004), Intercambio 3 and Intercambio 3 + 2, Mexico Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Cuba and Dominican Republic (1995-2001), Congelado por el fuego, Casa Candina and contemporary ceramics at the Museo de Arte de Ponce. Castañeda has designed various publications of exhibitions organized by Casa Candina. Her most recent ceramic work has an abundant draft, which plays with light to create shadows that make the works become ones that go beyond the volume of the ceramic artworks per se.
Artist Statement
“Fragile, resistant; durable, fleeting; predictable, surprising;
free, limiting; hard… malleable,
opposite words that describe the vast ceramic medium.
Clay plays with the eyes and the hands of its handler,
with the water that wets it,
with the fire that dries it
and with the world that surrounds it,
to give form to that image sculpted in a thought.
Lookouts, lookouts and more lookouts…
Product of my inner game, of joys, sorrows and passions,
Game without rules, nor limitations,
Game of the imagination
that travels through my hands, without duty, nor obligation,
to tell stories of diverse inspiration.
Lookouts…
Can we look from their interior? or can we only look them from the outside?
Can we inhabit them or is it that someone inhabits them?
And their stairs, to go up, to go down, to exit or to enter?
Are these lookuts for those who fly or for those who want to fly?
For the moment they invite us to look to the ongoing debate between
the freedom of flight and the stability of the ground,
the malleability of the dream and the rigidity of the reason,
the fragility of life
and the eternity of memory.”
Aileen Castañeda
Formation
Education
1984
- Studio Art Center International, Florence, Italy
1980-1984
- Bachelor’s Degree. Drew University, Madison, New Jersey, United States
Professional Experience
1992
- Member. Board of Directors, Casa Candina, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1988-1992
- Ceramics Professor. Casa Candina, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Ceramics Professor. Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1985
- Graphic Artist. Periódico El Nuevo Día, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Exhibitions
Solo Shows
2018
- De las entrañas de la tierra, Galería de Arte, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2005
- Miradores al vuelo, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2004
- Miradores al vuelo, Centro de las Artes, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
2002
- Miradores Secretos, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1997
- Ondulaciones, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1996
- Formas y ensamblajes, Escuela de Arquitectura, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1992
- Ceramics, Sandy Williams Art Gallery, Key Biscayne, Florida, United States
- Cerámica, Circolo degli Artisti, Albissola Marina, Italy
1991
- Giros del torno, Casa Candina, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Group Shows
2020
- Mascarilla de arte… mi única protección, Facebook live
2019
- Barro soy, Macaón Zona Industrial Matadero, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Al ritmo del torno, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Flota de Cerámica, Plaza Juan Morel Campos, Fountain in Centro de Bellas Artes, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- NEXOS, Espacio Emergente, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
- Barro y madera: un saludo a Cerf, Macaón Zona Industrial Matadero, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2018
- Oller en el Oller: Una mirada introspectiva al legado de Oller, Museo Francisco Oller, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
- Trastorno, Macaón, Zona industrial Matadero, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Flota de Cerámica, Plaza Juan Morel Campos, Fountain in Centro de Bellas Artes, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- About Clay/Sobre barro, Souvenir 154, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2015
- Solo con barro, Museo de Arte de Bayamón, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
2014
- Quinta Trienal Mundial de Tile Cerámico, Elit-tile, Museo de Arte Moderno, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
- Barro: una celebración, Museo y Centro de Estudios Humanísticos Dra. Josefina Camacho de la Nuez, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico
- La casa en ti y en mi, Centro de Estudiantes, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2013
- Arteando, Museo de Arte e Historia René Marqués, Arecibo, Puerto Rico
- Flota de Cerámica, Plaza Juan Morel Campos, Fountain in Centro de Bellas Artes, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2012
- Gala XXI El arte nuestro de cada día del Museo de Arte de Ponce, San Juan Hotel, Carolina, Puerto Rico
2011
- “...y del barro surgió el arte”, Ciudadela, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Encuadrado, doce ceramistas, Siete Siete Ocho, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
2010
- Creación desde el centro, Museo Casa Escuté, Carolina, Puerto Rico
- La Hoja, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Papel y barro, Galería 778, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Memorias, Galería Brio, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2009
- Muestra Nacional de Arte del Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, Arsenal de la Marina Española, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2008
- Congelado por el fuego: Casa Candina y la cerámica contemporánea, Museo de Arte de Ponce en Plaza Las Américas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2007
- Contexto puertorriqueño: del rococó colonial al arte global, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2006
- Muestra Nacional de Arte Puertorriqueño, Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Cerámica, Galería 356, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Semilla, Sonia Sanz, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2004
- Por invitación, Gandía Arts, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2003
- 15 Anni de Museo, Museo Cívico de Arte Contemporáneo de Albissola, Marina, Italy
2002
- 5 ceramistas Casa Candina Reencuentro 2002, Casa Rectoría, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico
2001
- Intercambio 3+2 Cerámica en Pequeño Formato, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2000
- En torno al torno, Galería de Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Mayagüez, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
1999
- Pouring vessel, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- 20 años de Galería Botello, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1998
- Cerámica puertorriqueña today/ hoy, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
1997
- SOFA Chicago ’97, Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Intercambio 3: México, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Centro Cultural ALPHA, Monterrey, Mexico
1996
- Muestra de Cerámica, Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela
1995
- Intercambio 3: México, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- 5 Ceramistas Casa Candina, Casa Rectoría, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico
1994
- 1ra Exhibición de arte olímpico de Puerto Rico, Chase Manhattan Bank, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Colectiva de Cerámica, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Artistas frente al SIDA, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1993
- Cerámica puertorriqueña hoy, Museo de Arte e Historia, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Galería Botello, Plaza Las Américas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- La vasija en la cerámica contemporánea puertorriqueña, Museo Casa Roig, Humacao, Puerto Rico
1992
- Nueve mujeres: cerámica y gráfica, Hermes Book & Art Gallery, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- 5 al torno, Casa Candina, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Biennale Internationale de la Céramique, Vallauris, France
1991
- Fletcher Challenge Ceramics Award, Auckland, New Zealand
- Concorso Internazionale della ceramica d’arte, Faenza, Italy
- VI Concorso Internazionale della ceramica, Assemini, Sardinia, Italy
- Colección Casa Candina de cerámica contemporánea puertorriqueña, Museo de Arte e Historia, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1990
- III Trienal de Cerámica Pequeña, Zagreb, Croatia
- II Bienal de la Cerámica Contemporánea Puertorriqueña, Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1989
- Apóstrofe al verde, Casa Candina, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- II Biennial and Auction of Puerto Rico Art of the Harvard Club of Puerto Rico, Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce; Citibank Center, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Arte Joven, Chase Manhattan Bank, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1988
- X Aniversario Galería Botello, Galería Botello, Plaza Las Américas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- En Torno, Casa Candina, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1987
- I Biennial and Auction of Puerto Rico Art of the Harvard Club of Puerto Rico, Chase Manhattan Bank, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- 7 ceramistas en torno, Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Bayamón Campus, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
- II Trienal de Cerámica Pequeña, Zagreb, Croatia
Awards, Distinctions and Achievements
2019
- Member. International Academy of Ceramics, Geneva, Switzerland
2003
- Residencia. Fundación Gruber Jez, Yucatán, Mexico
1998
- Residency. The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
1991
- Residency. Fabbrica Casa Museo Giuseppe Mazzotti, Albisola, Italy
1990
- Honorable Mention. II Bienal de la Cerámica Contemporánea Puertorriqueña, Casa Candina, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Collections
- Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Casa Candina, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Fabbrica Casa Museo Giuseppe Mazzotti, Albisola, Italy
- Fundación Gerda Gruber, Yucatán, Mexico
- Instituto Statale D’Arte, Teramo, Castelli, Italy
- Museo Cívico de Arte Contemporáneo de Albissola Marina, Italy
- Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Museo de la Cerámica, Zagreb, Croatia
- Museo della Ceramica, Assemini, Sardinia, Italy
- Parques Nacionales de Puerto Rico, Parque de la Laguna de Condado Jaime Benítez, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico
Bibliography
Newspapers
“Aileen Castañeda, Cerámica para ver y no tocar”. El Nuevo Día, Revista Domingo (San Juan, PR), 31 de marzo de 1991, pp. 12-15.
Pérez Rivera, Tatiana. “Conversaciones con el barro”. El Nuevo Día, Arte y Cultura (San Juan, PR), 21 de agosto de 2002, pp.78.