Ernesto Durán Castro

Ernesto David Durán Castro (born April 14, 1948 in Santiago, Chile) is a Chilean visual artist, ceramic craftsman and sculptor. His work focuses mainly on pottery and ceramics from pre-Columbian cultures, along with the representation of the ancestral human figure. His technique is inspired by his artisan family heritage of santeros and potters.

Biography His career tied to arts began at the age of 11, with his formal apprenticeship at the Liceo Experimental Artístico de Santiago, which led him in 1965 to study in the Department of Ornamental Public Art at the School of Arts of the University of Chile, to graduate in 1969, and later to teach from 1970 to 1975 as an assistant academic at the same institution.

At the same time, during his time as a university student, he began to participate in different activities related to working with ceramics, spending the summer periods of January and February for a period of four consecutive years: in 1966, he participated in the reconstruction of the Ahüi Fort in the Chiloé Province; then in 1967, he conducted popular ceramics and drawing workshops in San Carlos de Ñuble; in 1968, he again participated in conservation work for the historical site of the Matilla town in Tarapacá; finally, in 1969, he conducted popular ceramics workshops in Vicuña, in the region of Coquimbo; and finally, in 1969, he conducted popular ceramics workshops in Vicuña, in the Coquimbo Region.

Work His first works were statuettes of rural children between the years 65 and 67. The motifs of the countryside would become a main vein in his work during his early years and since the 90's and his ceramic work in the particular orange clay of the region, focuses on pre-Columbian cultures, especially the Atacameño, Diaguita, Mapuche and Selkʼnam cultures.

Oil and acrylic painting is also another area of the artist's work, where geometric patterns and singular motifs of the clothing of the ancestral figures stand out, which are colored in their entirety with earth tones.

Teaching and career

1967: Academic Ad. Honorem, in the Department of Ornamental Public Art, Former School of Stonemasonry and Ornamental Ceramics, University of Chile.

1968 - 1974: Assistant Instructor, Ornamental Ceramics Course, in the Department of Ornamental Public Art. Former School of Stonemasonry and Ornamental Ceramics of the University of Chile.

2013 - 2016: Sculpture Instructor, School of Architecture. Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Sciences, Universidad Mayor.

2015: Workshop Instructor of pre-Columbian pottery, Chimkowe Cultural Center. Cultural Corporation of the Municipality of Peñalolén.

2015: Teaching demonstrative-expositive workshops in the program, "Rutas Patrimoniales de las Artes Visuales de Peñalolén", Chimkowe Cultural Center. FONDART Metropolitan Region.

Since the beginning of his career and parallel to his work activities, he also teaches private art courses in his atelier in Peñalolén.

Exhibitions and Distinctions YearLocationExpositions y Fairs1968Santiago, ChileExposición de arte contemporáneo. Facultad de Bellas Artes Universidad de Chile, Instituto de Extensión de Artes Plásticas, MAC1972Vicuña, ChileMural de cerámica: Homenaje a Gabriela Mistral1972Santiago, Chile"Motivos Criollos"1974Santiago, ChileObras del profesorado. Facultad de Bellas Artes Universidad de Chile1974Santiago, Chile"Grabado". Facultad de Bellas Artes Universidad de Chile1975Santiago, Chile“Retrospectiva” de “Motivos criollos 1972”. Galería Instituto Chileno Norteamericano de Cultura1975Santiago, Chile“Terracotas”. Galería del Instituto Chileno Norteamericano de Cultura1975Ñuñoa, SantiagoGrupo “Semilla”. Casa de la Cultura de Ñuñoa1975Valparaíso, ChileII Bienal Internacional de Arte1977Ñuñoa, Santiago"Grabado". Casa de la Cultura1978Ñuñoa, SantiagoExposición “Taller Tierra”: Pintura y cerámica. Casa de la Cultura de Ñuñoa1978Providencia, SantiagoExposición “Taller Tierra”: Cerámica y grabado. Colegio San Ignacio El Bosque1978Arica, ChilePinturas. Exposición Coordinadora Bolsas de Cesantes Zona Norte1984Ginebra, Suiza“Art Populaire Chilien”. Galerie Zodiaque, Perroy 19841986Arica, ChileVI Feria de Artesanía. Universidad de Tarapacá1989Concepción, ChileFeria Internacional de Arte Popular1999Santiago, Chile“Mujer Luna”. VI Bienal Latinoamericana de Cerámica Artística y Artesanal, MAC2004Las Condes, SantiagoExposición colectiva: Homenaje a Pablo Neruda. Centro de Artesanía del Pueblito de Los Dominicos2005Ñuñoa, SantiagoPinturas. Exposición Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación2007Santiago, ChileExposición de Ex Alumnos 1947-2007, 60 años del Liceo Experimental Artístico2008Santiago, Chile“Tierra”. Biblioteca Nacional de Santiago2008Concepción, Chile“El gran triunfador”, 50 años Corporación Cultural Artistas del Acero. Sala Exposiciones de Concepción2008Talcahuano, Chile“El gran triunfador”, Corporación Cultural Artistas del Acero. Sala Exposiciones Compañía Siderúrgica Huachipato S.A.2011Santiago, Chile38° Feria Internacional de artesanía tradicional. Universidad Católica de Chile2016Peñalolén, SantiagoTaller de Cerámica Ancestral, Circuito de Artes visuales. Cumbre Internacional de Cultura de Mercociudades2019Peñalolén, SantiagoRuta del Arte Visual. Día del Patrimonio, Corporación Cultural Chimkowe 2021Santiago, Chile"Mujeres", Artífices en Pandemia, Museo de la Educación Gabriela Mistral. Ministerio de las Culturas, las Artes y el Patrimonio2023Tiltil, Santiago"Personajes Ancestrales". Corporación Municipal de Cultura, Centro Cultural Tiltil2023La Paz, BoliviaIII Encuentro de Ceramistas. Noviembre 2023, Facultad de Arquitectura, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés YearLocationAwards1974Santiago, Chile1er Premio, Fiesta de la Primavera2001Linares, Chile2do Premio, Concurso de Arte Público, Escuela España2010Santiago, ChileReconocimiento por su al fomento y desarrollo de la artesanía: Día nacional del artesano, CNCA Metropolitana cultura2015Santiago, ChileFondart 2015. “Rutas Patrimoniales de las Artes Visuales de Peñalolén” del Ministerio de las Culturas, las Artes y el Patrimonio2021Santiago, ChileFondart 2020-2021. Proyecto colectivo "Artífices en Pandemia" del Ministerio de las Culturas, las Artes y el Patrimonio2023Santiago, ChileFondart 2023. Proyecto colectivo "Murales con Historia" del Ministerio de las Culturas, las Artes y el Patrimonio2024Concepción, ChilePremio a la Tradición Artesanal. 59 Feria Internacional de Arte Popular

Style and art collection The statuettes of Duran gather themes related to the Andean culture, the Tawantisuyo among other pre-Columbian cultures, but also reflects contemporary issues in the attire or accessories of the personifications. Something unique that he developed during the 2021 together with the jeweler Brenda Gonzalez, were some ceramic pieces of the female figure during the pandemic, where the pieces wear surgical masks.

Pieces by the artisan are auctioned on international preservation and art curation platforms such as Catawiki of the Netherlands, Chairish of the United States or Selency (OLX) of France."My work emerges from the thoughts I make of the human being, from the memory that prevails from the primitive ancient pre-Columbian cultures, recreating and creating through images, shapes and color, a language replete with symbolism. The searching of rites and myths that concretize a rigorous work to be captured in painting, sculpture, craftsmanship as well as engraving. Through these expressions I present universal themes, where the human being is the center of space and time".

Ernesto Durán Castro

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