Johnny Castillo

I’m honored to be exhibiting 2 of my paintings amongst a group of amazing LA based artists this weekend at Crossings, a group exhibition presented by , co-curated by .munzon & , taking place the in Glendale CA, and is part of the 2025

🕐 Open reception: October 11 | 6 PM – 9 PM
🗓️ Exhibition Dates: October 11 – Jan 3, 2026
📍 | 1601 W Mountain St
Glendale CA 91201

Crossings invites viewers to explore the collective narrative of artists navigating their American identities while honoring their ancestral roots. Centered primarily on Los Angeles-based artists of Latin American descent, the group exhibition also includes voices from AAPI, Middle Eastern and other immigrant communities. 

The exhibition reflects on the layered experiences of artists whose works are deeply informed by the environments they or their ancestors inhabit or were raised in. Crossings offers a poignant meditation on the evolving dynamics of cultural preservation, adaptation, and belonging across time and place.

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On view:

Monja Blanca, Take Me Home / 
Monja Blanca, Llévame a Casa
Oil on Canvas
46x42x1.25 inches

&

The Fragility of Courage / 
La Fragilidad del Coraje
Oil on Canvas
14x14x1.5 inches

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Where I Left My Marbles / 
Donde Deje mis Cincos
Oil on Wood Panel
6x4 inches 

Where I Left My Marbles is a close-up of a childhood game I used to play in Guatemala—digging holes in the dirt, setting up a course, and gambling marbles with friends after school. It was more than just a game; it was a daily ritual, a small but meaningful piece of home. The marbles in this painting hold onto that memory, a reminder of a place that feels both far away and ever-present. This moment isn’t just captured here—it weaves through other paintings like Mijo, It’s Time and Lingering in Yesterday’s Light, showing how certain memories keep finding their way back, shaping the way I remember and reconnect with the past.

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TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY TO SEE THE SHOW !

ALIENATION, BELONGING, & PERCEPTIONS, a two-artist exhibition featuring the powerful works of  and .castl .

📅 Closing Reception: March 30
📍 Rod Briggs Gallery | 2221 E. Broadway, Long Beach, CA
🕐 Sunday | 1 PM – 4 PM

Lingering in Yesterday’s Light / 
Permaneciendo en la Luz del Ayer
Oil on Canvas
48x34x1.25 inches

Lingering in Yesterday’s Light captures a moment of remembrance and longing. I sit atop a Tonka truck, just as I did in my childhood in Guatemala, holding a bright red-striped ball—another object tied to memories of home. My gaze is fixed on a distant view of Guatemala, a home that remains out of reach, a feeling reinforced by the chain-link fence that stands as a physical and symbolic barrier. The viewer’s perspective is placed low to the ground, looking up at the scene, heightening the emotional weight of this monumental moment. Scattered in the dirt are marbles and small holes, reminiscent of a childhood game I used to play—echoing the landscape of Mijo, It’s Time, where the same game appears. Could this be the same place? The connection between these paintings deepens the sense of nostalgia, weaving together memory, place, and time.

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LAST WEEK TO SEE THE SHOW !

ALIENATION, BELONGING, & PERCEPTIONS, a two-artist exhibition featuring the powerful works of  and .castl .

📅 Exhibition Dates: March 2 – March 30
📍 Rod Briggs Gallery | 2221 E. Broadway, Long Beach, CA
🕐 Open Friday – Sunday | 1 PM – 4 PM