Explore the Work of Miami-based Artist Yamily Castillo, Where Earth, Sea, and Texture Converge

Yamily Castillo is a Miami-based contemporary artist and founder of Atelier Viento. Her work explores the relationship between material, movement, and landscape through layered compositions using sand, mineral elements, and acrylic. Drawing inspiration from coastal and geological formations, her paintings evoke both stillness and depth, bridging physical texture with emotional presence. Castillo is set to present a new body of work in a solo exhibition at Spectrum Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach Week December 2–7, 2026, marking an exciting milestone in her evolving practice.

Sotavento Lagoon, 48″ x 48″, Mixed Media on Canvas

Her work is built through layered processes using mineral compounds, sand, and acrylic, forming sculptural surfaces where texture defines rhythm and structure carries tension. Rooted in the dialogue between wind, ocean, and earth, each piece reflects accumulation, erosion, and quiet persistence inviting a slower, more intentional way of seeing. We recently had the pleasure to chat with the artist to learn more about her incredible work and projects:

Q – What is the best part about being an artist, and where does your inspiration come from?A – The most meaningful part of being an artist is the ability to translate internal states into something physical, something that can be experienced beyond words. My inspiration comes from nature, particularly landscapes shaped by movement, oceans, deserts, horizons. I’m drawn to environments where there is constant motion, yet a sense of stillness. The ocean, especially within my recent “Oceanique” body of work, has been a central influence, its depth, rhythm, and quiet force. For me, nature is a place of recalibration. It grounds me, and that grounding becomes the foundation of each piece.

Quiet Cove I, 36″ Round, Mixed Media on Canvas

Q – Your work is deeply rooted in the physical intelligence of the landscape. Can you tell us how geology, sediment, and erosion became central themes in your practice?A – My connection to geological forms developed naturally through my attraction to landscapes, mountains, deserts, coastlines, spaces shaped over time through pressure, movement, and erosion. I became interested not just in how these environments look, but in how they form. The layering, the compression, the gradual transformation, these processes began to mirror something internal. Over time, geology became less of a reference and more of a language. It allowed me to express time, endurance, and transformation through material rather than image.Q – You work with mineral compounds, sand, pumice, and acrylic to create sculptural surfaces. What drew you to these materials, and how do they influence the final composition?A – I was drawn to these materials because they carry a physical honesty. Sand, pumice, and mineral compounds are not decorative, they are structural, grounded, and raw. They allow the work to move beyond a flat surface and into something that feels constructed, almost excavated. The textures introduce weight, resistance, and depth, which naturally influence how the composition develops. The first step toward decisions during my process is the thoughts of the landscapes I want to create, through specific places or by imagination only. I build the surface. The materials guide the process, creating compositions that feel both organic and intentional.

Exuma, 30″ x 40″, Mixed Media on Canvas

Q – Many of your paintings evoke strata, horizons, and subtle movement. How does layering and abrasion shape the rhythm and structure of each piece?A – Layering is central to my process. Each piece develops over time through accumulation, removal, and refinement. I work in stages, building, sanding, reworking, allowing the surface to evolve rather than forcing a fixed outcome. This creates a rhythm that is both controlled and intuitive. The final structure emerges gradually. It’s not immediate, sometimes it’s discovered through the process.Q – Having been born in Cuba and raised in Italy, how have migration, geography, and memory influenced the visual language of your work?A – My background has shaped my work in a more internal way than a literal one. Being born in Cuba, raised in Italy, and later building a life in the United States created a sense of constant transition. That experience of movement, of adapting, rebuilding, and redefining, became part of how I see and process the world. There was also a period of instability that deeply influenced me. Over time, I developed a need for grounding, for structure, for something that holds. That need is reflected in my work. The surfaces, the materials, the compositions, they all carry a sense of anchoring. Of finding stillness within change.

Bimini Wall (2026), 48″ x 48″, Mixed Media on Canvas

Q – Your surfaces feel both powerful and quiet at the same time. Is this sense of endurance and persistence something you consciously aim to convey?A – Yes, very intentionally. I’m interested in the coexistence of opposites. Strength and stillness. Movement and control. Tension and calm. My work is meant to hold that duality. Much like the ocean, here is constant motion, but also a deep sense of quiet. The pieces are designed to feel grounded, but not static. They carry movement, but without noise. That balance is central to everything I create.Q – What is your favorite piece you’ve created and why?A – Right now, my favorite piece is “Bimini Wall”. It’s a fully textured 48 × 48 work that captures a transition, from depth to shore, from darker tones into light. It reflects both a physical landscape and something more internal. For me, the piece represents contrast dark and light, tension and release, complexity and clarity. It holds multiple states at once, and the transitions between them are what make it complete.

Contemporary Artist Yamily Castillo

Q – Looking ahead, are there new directions, materials, or projects you are excited to explore as your practice evolves?A – I’m focused on expanding the work into larger contexts exhibitions, collaborations, and opportunities that allow the pieces to exist within space, not just as individual works. The direction is less about changing the language and more about deepening it, refining the material exploration, scaling the work, and placing it within environments where it can be fully experienced.

Art collectors and aficionados are invited to learn more about this fascinating artist by visiting her website, and exploring available works at: www.ateliervientoart.com. For inquiries regarding original artworks, commissions, or additional information, please contact the artist directly at: castillo@atelierviento.com

For further information, please visit: www.ateliervientoart.comFollow Atelier Viento on Instagram: @atelier_viento