Biography
Alex Sastoque, Maestro of plastic and visual fine arts originally from Colombia, South America, graduated from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, his main mentors have been the late Maestro Armando Villegas in Latin America, and the late Maestro Ernst Fuchs, in Europe.
He has exhibited his work and artistic projects in the National Museum of Colombia, National Museum of India – Permanent Collection (Government of India), presidential chamber of the Republic of Colombia - Nariño Palace, Museum of Modern Art in Bogota, Christie's New York – Latin America, Phantasten Museum Palais Palffy (Vienna, Austria), Winn Slavin Fine Art gallery in Beverly Hillls California, Museum of Antioquia, Museum of Contemporary Art in Bogota, Congress of the Republic from Colombia, United Nations UNHCR, Cultural Center of Nayarit Mexico, Scope Miami, Moksha Gallery Miami, Colombian Embassy in the United Arab Emirates, Curator 19.90 International Art Project Beirut Lebanon, Nobel Peace Prize – World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates; in conjunction with other Maestros in Arts such as; Salvador Dalí, Fernando Botero, Ernst Fuchs, Edgar Negret, Robert Venosa, Alex Grey, Allyson Grey, Amanda Sage, Retna, Martina Hoffmann, David Manzur, Enrique Grau, Luis Caballero, Omar Rayo, Miguel Angel Rojas, Mark Henson and, Alejandro Obregón, among others.
Alex Sastoque materializes his work in painting, sculpture, video art and installation, to preserve the legacy of Latin American art and the great Maestros of art history. Currently, with his latest works, Maestro Sastoque contributes to the defense of human rights as a step towards a peaceful existence on a global level.
Since 2007 he has been working on his international artistic and cultural project "Cultivate Peace" with which he intends to turn war weapons into works of art and symbols for peace in the world.
Due to this, he was invited by the Congress of the Republic of Colombia in the years 2012 and 2014 to exhibit his work, "Visionary Art for Peace" in the National Capitol of Colombia, showing in this way his unconditional support for a life free of violence.
In 2015, he received an AK-47 rifle from General (r) Manuel José Bonett and the Colombian Military Forces, which became a cultivation tool and gave life to the sculpture entitled "Metamorphosis" from the series "Cultivate Peace".
In 2016, Maestro Sastoque formally presented President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, Nobel Peace Prize 2016, the international symbol of peace Metamorphosis as cultural support for peace agreements and the post-conflict in Colombia.
In June 27, 2017, President Juan Manuel Santos publicly delivers the artwork Metamorphosis of the series "Cultivate Peace" by Maestro Sastoque to Timochenko (Commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) "FARC" as a symbol of disarmament and world peace in the context of the abandonment of arms and the end of the "FARC" in Mesetas, Meta - Colombia.
"La mayoría de los lideres espirituales de nuestros pueblos ancestrales han estado dispuestos a compartir su legado con todos aquellos que muestren la transparencia de intención y la impecabilidad ética que les permitan ser la voz múltiple de las fuerzas espirituales que salvaguardan el equilibrio entre el hombre y las fuerzas de las que es responsable y beneficiario. Alex Sastoque es uno de estos nuevos guardianes, que con espíritu de guerreros trabajan para reconectar las tradiciones de conciencia y preservación del equilibrio con la vida actual. El espíritu de la visión se manifiesta en sus pinturas en la forma de espacialidades alteradas por una geometría sagrada que renueva las imágenes de lugares y seres ya vistos en nuestra experiencia ordinaria. Precisamente porque el espacio no es para los pueblos indígenas solamente un problema de sustento o renta, su defensa está estrechamente vinculada con la defensa de pautas de sentido como lengua, memoria colectiva, ritos, expresiones simbólicas y autonomía. La visión del arte se nos presenta en la obra de Sastoque como una especie de lente renovador de nuestra experiencia espacial con el mundo, rebasando el uso restringido –expresión del individuo- en que el mercado de valores ha pretendido atraparlo."
Ricardo Toledo Castellanos
Curador Profesor y coordinador de investigación Departamento de Artes Visuales Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Mentors
Armando Villegas & Alex Sastoque 2013
Ernst Fuchs and Salvador Dalí 1974
Ernst Fuchs & Alex Sastoque 2012
Ernst Fuchs, Salvador Dalí and Arno Breker
Alex Sastoque, Ernst Fuchs and Amanda Sage
Alex Sastoque & Fernando Botero 2016