Fungi Rhino

Katherine Castillo Alferez

A self-taught Colombian artist based in Sydney; Katherine commenced her career as a sculptor in 2016. Her mostly figurative work combines a realistic approach with surrealist concepts, and she works with multiple mediums including varied clays, casting in bronze and ceramics firing.   Having learnt the art of metalwork while working in a bronze foundry in Sydney, Castillo Alferez also explored the fundamentals of clay work via sculpture workshops in the USA. Focusing on creating her unique style, she also founded a sculptor workshop school in Sydney in 2020. Castillo Alferez has participated in several art prizes, winning first place and people’s choice at 4 events recently. She still considers herself an emerging artist, with much still to do and achieve.

Prizes

2020 First place at Harbor sculpture Balmain

2021 People's choice at Sculpture in the Garden Mudgee

2021 People's Choice Award at Sculpture in the Farm Dungog

2022 North Sydney art prize at Coal Loader

2022 Sculptures in the Vineyard Wollombi

2022 " less refuses" at quarantine station, North Head Manly

Detailed History

Winer Of The Art Prize People’s Choice Mudgee & Dungog Nsw, November 2021
While continuing with my exploration into art prizes around Sydney, I was very pleased to heard that I was chosen by popular demand on the people’s choice on the two different events around in NSW, Mudgee art prize called Sculptures in the garden participating with the bronze sculpture “ Coral Queendom” 45kg 80x48x30cm and Dungog art prize called Sculptures in the Farm participating with the bronze sculpture “Isolation” 6 kg 36x25x10cm. To a total prize money of $800 AUD.

Bigger Than Life Size Winx Monument , Rosehill Gardens Racecourse Sydney March 8th 2021
Participation on the bigger than life size WINX monument at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse , Sydney NSW 8 March 2021Winx was the best racehorse in the world, ridden by one of the all times greatest Hugh Bowman. 43 starts- 37 wins in 3 seconds, world record 25 group 1 victories, unbeaten in her final 33 races.

Bronze statue of 800 kgs, sculpted by Tanya Bartlett. Casted at Australian Bronze Foundry by a team of two guided by director Clive Calder, feeling honoured to had contribute with my work in all around wax work, bronze casting, metal chasing , welding and detailing.

Winer of The Harbour Exhibition Balmain, First Place, Sydney Nsw, November 2020
On my first time participating at the Harbour Exhibition Balmain, a collective exhibition for the NSW commu- nity of sculptors, all mediums including ceramic, wood, stone and metal. The Curator and judge Michael Snape accompanied by Jamie Parker Green MP and the Harbour Exhibition committee, granted the Judges Choice award of $5000.00 AUD to my bronze sculpture surrealistic piece FUNGI FEET 70x 25x 10 cm 25 kgs (1/10 copies)

Life Size Horse Bronze Sculpture Of Snitzel, Arrowfield Stud, August 2020
Participation on the life size horse sculpture at Arrowfield stud,NSW August 2020 The recognised thorough- bred stud farm Arrowfield in the Segenhoe valley, NSW, commissioned Tanya Bartlett and Australia Bronze Foundry to create the casting of a life size stable man and horse for the monument of SNITZEL, a 4th con- secutive Champion sire tittle at the 2020 Australian Racehorse of the year awards. 2.5 mt long, 6.5 foot and 600kgs. contribution as part of the team of two, working all around in mould making, wax work, bronze cast- ing, welding, metal chasing and detailing. Guided by foundry director Clive Calder.

Establishment of The Manly Sculpture School, Manly North Head Nsw February 2020
Only owner-director and teacher of the Manly Sculpture school, a project that started after experiencing the lack of enough artistic spaces for sculptors that wanted to work with life model for the purpose of figurative art and clay work inspiration in Sydney.

Overcoming, all the complications of the Covid19 Pandemic in 2020, the Manly Sculpture School has provided a space for the Northern Beaches artist community (an already large base of current and ongoing students ) with the perfect environment to explore the vast area of human and animal anatomy.

The school is proud to be the host of many workshops to come with international guest teachers for the integration of the Australian and overseas community in one place. Some of our scheduled workshops have been postponed as a consequence of the travel restrictions for this particular year.

Remembrance , Bear Cottage Manly Nsw, May -2019</strong
To date my fist public bronze sculpture commission, a solo executed pice, under the guidance of Australian Bronze Foundry director, Clive Calder. Creation of the project started from the original sculpting in water based clay, followed by mould making, wax work, welding, metal chasing and all the way to the final patina- tion.

The NSW only children\'s hospital Bear Cottage located in Manly, Commissioned Australian Bronze Foundry to create their new garden bronze sculpture - a place of love and serenity to remember those chil- dren who have lived and died at the children\'s hospice. The monuments consist in two children life size, a young boy holding a teddy bear and a older girl with a butterfly gently releasing from her hand.

But I Fly,  Anton Smith , Manly Nsw ,  June -2019
Anton Smith(South African artist) commissioned Australian Bronze to create a replica of his own work in Bronze for a Manly base family ,resin to Bronze 1 scale bigger than life size, my participation include the making of the moulds, Wax work, and all metal work.

Mary Poppins, Tanya Bartlett , Bowral Nsw , Dec-2015 And July- 2019

Well-known Australian artist Tanya Bartlett completed the Mary Poppins life size statue placed in Glebe park Bowral NSW, and most recently at her own property in Maryland NSW. I was entitle to work along side the Australian Bronze team working to achieve a detailed inspection and accuracy in the creation of the wax pieces and gating system of each project .

David Stirling, Naked Army , Sas Base Perth Wa, Nov-2018
Participation on the bronze cast of the 7th foot Monument of Lieutenant David Stirling by artist Scott Ed- wards and commissioned by Naked Army Defence, for the SAS BASE in Perth WA. Working along side the Australian Bronze Foundry team and guided by Clive Calder foundry director. taking care of the wax work area and assisting on the metal work.

Oceanids II, Manly Council, Sydney New , Sep -2017
Participation in the bronze cast creation of the second version of the Oceanids by Hellen Lette at the Fairy Bower rock pool at Manly to sShelly walk way. After loosing the original sculptures in made out of concrete in a storm in 2016, the Manly Council and the community got together to raise founds and restore the iconic Manly symbol.

The commission was granted to Australian Bronze Foundry team, working under the super- vision of Clive Calder foundry director and the artist Helen lette, through the process of mould making, wax work and detailing, bronze cast, welding, metal chasing and detailing .

Mr Chunky, Australian Bronze Sydney, May-2017
Private commission for the Australian Bronze Foundry, Ariel Smith commissioned the creation and castiong of his long time and faitful companion Mr Chunky his Sharpei dog,under the guidance of Clive Calder, I cre- ate an original clay sculpture followed with the extended process of the lost wax to bronze casting. 50 x 90x 50 cm and 100 kgr.

Cameron Baird, Naked Army, Currumbin Rsl Qld , Nov-2016
Scott Edwards commissioned by Naked Army defence, have created a seven foot Bronze statue of corporal Cameron Baird VC, MG. The Australian bronze team was in charge once again of the bronzing of the art- work, my roll consisted in the complete creation of moulds, all wax work area and participation on metal chasing.

Education

• Attending a Workshop with the contemporary Bronze Sculptor Brian Booth Craig of figurative clay work creation and mould making at Kevin Chambers Studios in Atlanta,GA, USA in August 1-16 /2019
• Congratulated for Outstanding performance on realism achievements on a figurative sculpture at the workshop with Italian sculptor Allessandro Gallo at the Gaya Ceramic and Design Centre in Ubud, Bali on June 9-22 /2019
• Successfully completed a workshop in Miniature sculpture character, anatomy with Patrick Masson at Andrew’s Hobbies in Melbourne, Australia February 24-26/ 2018
• Executed competency uplifting in knowledge of Human anatomy at the intense workshop of four(4) weeks of anatomy study in Las Vegas, NV, USA with the internationally accomplished sculptor, anatomist & in- structor Andrew Cawse ,contemporary figurative artist known for his bronze sculptures and his associa- tion with Cirque Du Soleil models Richard McDonald, world famous contemporary sculptor for the movie & visual effects industry Mark Newman and Stephen Michael Hapmton long time educator in the fields of figure drawing, anatomy and two dimensional design,August 28- 26 September 2017.
• Developed a strong new set of skills in Drawing, Life Painting and Clay Modeling at the Julian Asthon art School Sydney at The Rocks campus during the two consecutive years in 2015- 2016.
• Learned the basics or art, drawing and illustration at the (Escuela Nacional de Caricatura) National School of Graphic Communication www.escueladecaricatura.com Completed two(20) years of School About Art Communication and Illustration 1998 - 2000.

Contact

Phone: 61433507419
mail:
Instagram: kca_artist
Personal website : www.kca-artist.com
School website: www.artistikca.com