Mi nombre es Hector Castillo. I am a self-taught artist from Huntington Beach, California, and I am also a prisoner. I first learned to make art by sketching freeze frames of my favorite cartoons as a child, later experimenting with Chicano art, calligraphy, and graffiti as a teenager. I began working seriously in acrylic and oil in my mid-twenties. My paintings have been featured in exhibitions across the country, including the McNichols Building in Denver; the Marion Gallery at SUNY Fredonia; the Museum of Art Fort Collins; the Colorado State Capitol; and the Boulder Public Library. I’m honored to have work in an upcoming show at RedLine Contemporary Art Center. Through my artwork, I hope to inspire viewers—especially those unfamiliar with the prison system—to become more confident, goal-driven, and imaginative, and to advocate for meaningful prison and justice system reform. I want people to see that an artist in prison can still contribute beauty, truth, and transformation to the world.