Alfonso M. Castillo Orta

1944–2009

A man stands behind a seated woman for a photograph

Alfonso Castillo Orta was a ceramicist and artisan from Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla. As a descendant of a generation of potters, he was best known for his trees of life sculptures. His work, a part of a long practice of polychromatic ceramics, brought his family’s artistic tradition to international recognition. He would often drive up to the NMMA to do demonstrations during the Day of the Dead exhibition and sell his family’s artwork.