Words Are Objects is the one-person studio of Colombian artist and graphic designer María José Castillo. In their practice, they approach language not only as a tool for conveying meaning but also as a catalog of pliable objects to be examined and manipulated. Their printmaking, installation, and sculptural works are heavy on formal exploration of type and shape—leaning at times on coding, poetry, abstraction, play patterns, the element of chance, semiotics, and the viewer as an active subject for co-creating meaning.

In their most recent work, María José has delved into identity and personal narratives  through the intersectional lens of mixed-race, latino, and queer experience in diaspora. Language, then, helps drawing bridges between family histories, geographical contexts, and the frustrations deemed to occur while creating communicational bonds between groups of people. 

Community engagement has become another avenue for María José to further these bonds. They belong to the Serpentina Art Council—a nonprofit based in Minnesota that fosters the development of Latinx artists in the state—, and regularly participates in art and print festivals throughout the US (most recently in CAKE Chicago, Short Run Seattle, and the Queer & Trans Zine Fest in Minnesota). Design and writing engagements have also played an integral part, through projects involving Reproductive Rights (a resource zine in collaboration with the University of Minnesota), local exhibition reviews, and essays. 

María José has received artist awards and scholarships from TEDx, Franconia Sculpture Park, The Minnesota Center for Book Arts, and ICETEX. Their artwork has been on view in both Colombia and the United States, and their writing has been published in printed and digital art catalogs such as St. Catherine University, and MN Artists for the Walker Arts Center. Through their Words Are Objects studio they publish artist books, poetry zines, and serialized prints/objects of their authorship. 

As a graphic designer, María José has worked with publishing agencies and graphic design studios, developing projects for companies like TARGET and LEGO, and cultural organizations such as ARTBO, IDARTES, and the Colombian Ministry of Culture. 

Photo by Shun Jie Yong.