Born on May 12, 1970, in Ponce, Puerto Rico from Spanish- Italian heritage. Parents, Dr. Jose Alfredo DeCastro y Flore de Maria Carlo, as great supporters of the arts, contribute to motivate with the recurrent visits to family in Spain and Europe that greatly inspired and impacted her young artistic mind. Since early age her inclinations persisted on rediscovering the classics and the great master’s ideals.
In1992, began her most awaited journey to live in Florence, Italy, to solidify her skills from direct studies of the actual works of Michelangelo and Leonardo, Raphael to experience the lives of the masters. Until 1996 graduated from the Florence Academy of Art. Followed her masters in Sculpture at the New York Academy of Art.
The spiritual strength and struggle portrayed on voluptuous strong bodies that derives from the masters for their determination “to conquer matter to show what matter most.” On earlier academic works, the handling of rich pigments, layers, and glazes that present depth and solidity, part of the concept of abstraction for the spiritual side to filter in.
In 2001, founded and directed, the Academia De Arte Fiorentina at historical building in Calle Isabel Ponce. Until 2005 faculty member of liberal arts of UPR-Ponce. Continued to exhibit in Ponce, SJ, and NY, then moved to California.
Returned to immersed into the exotic nature of the island, capturing the essence of light and fluidity of water and the beauty of semitransparent light layered bodies floating in an atmosphere of light, a luminous scenario evoking the spiritual in a suggestive way for contemplation. Painted many portraits and figures of surf legends. The transparencies, sfumato, rawness of the surface and vast open spaces evoking the beauty of sensual female bodies presented with strength. The oriental concepts and techniques used to enhance the spiritual and eternal values emphasizing the fugacity of the moment and the fragility of life.
