Carlos Castro Arias: Vandalismo Artesanal

Vandalismo Artesanal stages a confrontation between two craft traditions: bronze—a technique historically used to memorialize, monumentalize, and construct national narratives—and the weaving and beading crafts of communities across Colombia. Here, bronze statues emerge fragmented and reconfigured: busts encircled in basketry or adorned with Inga symbols, among others.

Carlos Castro Arias is a Colombian artist, professor, and musician. His work draws from historical images and objects, transforming them to create new meanings and connections. Through sculpture, installation, painting, and video, his practice explores individual and collective identity, bringing attention to muted histories and overlooked perspectives. Castro has had retrospectives at the Museum of Modern Art Bogotá (MAMBO) and the Museo de la Universidad de Antioquia. His work has been featured in solo exhibitions at the Ringel Gallery at Purdue University, Artpace, The Athenaeum Art Center, and La Cometa Gallery, among others. This is his first solo exhibition in Los Angeles.