Irene López de Castro is a Spanish painter born in Madrid in 1967. She graduated in Fine Arts from the Complutense University of Madrid in 1991.
Her creative world centers on Mali and the Niger River. She first traveled there in 1989 at age 21. She has returned more than 14 times.
She fell in love with the light and color of the Sahel. She says Mali goes through all the senses. Her paintings reflect the life along the Niger River.
“When I travel, I like to get lost before finding my way again; I love chance encounters and surprises, I love to see what no guide recommends to travelers.”
Irene López de Castro
Her style blends figuration and abstraction with extreme subtlety. She works in oils and drawings. She also learned the bogolan mud-cloth technique in Mali.
She has exhibited in Rome, Paris, London, Seoul, and Bamako. In 2017, she had a solo show at the Musée National du Mali. Her work has also been shown in Florence, Venice, and Córdoba.
What is Irene López de Castro known for?
She is known for her paintings inspired by Mali and the Niger River. She captures the light, color, and people of the Sahel in her expressive figurative works.
Where is Irene López de Castro from?
She is from Spain. She was born in Madrid in 1967.
What techniques does Irene López de Castro use?
She works in oils and drawings. She also learned the bogolan mud-cloth painting technique in Mali.
Irene López de Castro tried three times to reach Timbuktu but failed each time. She finally succeeded on her fourth attempt, invited by the custodian of the Andalusian library.
