Born in Costa Rica in 1958, Francisco Castro Lostalo is a sculptor, painter, multi-media artist, art instructor and organizer of artistic events. He pursued an interest in art from a young age, taught art in high schools and operated a successful ceramics school before moving to Canada and becoming a Canadian citizen. Turning to the creation of his own original art, he then studied the techniques of master stone sculptors in Tuscany, Italy.
He works in a wide range of media, sculpting in stone, ceramic, bronze, resin and wood, and painting in acrylic, watercolor and oil. He has exhibited in several Toronto galleries, including Leonardo Galleries in Yorkville and FCP Gallery at Firs Canadian Place, and Art Mode Gallery in Ottawa. His works are found in collections in Canada, Costa Rica, the United States, Europe and Argentina, while his monumental sculptures are installed as public art in Costa Rica and Chile.
Lostalo is founder and President of Toronto Art Visions, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of art; artistry and art appreciation. He is also Agent for Canada of the Rome-based International Association of Monumental Sculpture Events (AIESM). He now divides his time between Canada and his native Costa Rica. Here he has organised numerous art events including two international monumental stone sculptures symposiums. In the second of those “Spirit of Diversity”, both the event an the sculptures it produced celebrated cultural diversity in Costa Rica and around the world.
Since 2010, Lostalo has created more than 30 sculptures using a portion of the 45,000 white Carrara marble panels that previously covered the facade of First Canadian Place, a 72-storey office tower in downtown Toronto. By trimming the panels and grinding away 35 years of grime, Lostalo rescued the still almost pure white, sculpture-quality marble underneath. He then cut, combined and carved the panels into appealing original sculptures.
Driven by inspiration, Lostalo is as passionate working with a brush as he is with a chisel. His most recent collections of paintings, executed in resin using self-developed techniques, are Giants of the Deep, consisting of large-format, life-like paintings of the largest creatures roaming our oceans, and the Four Elements, mostly abstract work representing earth, air, fire and water. In both series, Francisco uses texture, deep hues, strong light and reflective finishes to create depth and drama.
Résumé
SCULPTOR, PAINTER & MULTI-MEDIA ARTIST
ART INSTRUCTOR
ORGANIZER OF ARTISTIC EVENTS
PRESIDENT AND FOUNDING PARTNER, Toronto Art Visions community arts organization
AGENT REPRESENTATIVE FOR CANADA, International Association of Monumental Sculpture Events (AIESM)
Francisco Castro Lostalo Contact Info:
Email: fcastro.visions@gmail.com
Tel: +1 (647) 984-1705
Website: www.castrolostalo.com