Lourdes Castro

Lourdes Castro (Funchal, 1930 – 2022) studied Painting at the School of Fine Arts of Lisbon from 1950 to 1956. In 1957, after spending some time in Munich, she settled in Paris with René Bertholo, with whom she founded the KWY magazine (1958–63), which included Christo, Jan Voss, José Escada, João Vieira, Costa Pinheiro and Gonçalo Duarte.

In the early Parisian years, after a short period dedicated to abstract painting, Lourdes Castro began producing the first collages or assemblages with objects she found, followed by the discovery of what would become the central theme of her career – the shadow. In her incessant research on the shadow, Castro experiments with an immense variety of materials, mediums and techniques – silkscreen printing, acrylic, painting, embroidery – beginning by representing the people around her and, later, objects, plants and flowers.

In 2000 Lourdes Castro participated in the Biennale of São Paulo and exhibited in numerous national and international institutions during her career.