Castel was born in 1909 in Jerusalem and died in 1992. He attended Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts in Jerusalem and the Academie Julien and the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. He participated in individual and group exhibitions in well known galleries in Paris and in 1947 initiated and founded together with other painters and sculptors the group "New Horizons". When living in Paris, (1927 -1940) he used the backdrop of the street scenes for his subject matter and exhibited his paintings in the salons of Paris. On his return to Israel he became famous for his work using basalt found in the black rock, which is indigenous to several areas of Israel. Many of his paintings are characterized by his creation of what appears to be an ancient form of writing. These symbols are painted in relief utilizing the black rock material. His portraits and street scenes often possess a Spanish influence, probably based on his Castilian Sephardic heritage. The strong reds, greens and blacks are indicative of this phase of his paintings. From 1959 the artist spent his time between Paris, New York and Israel. He is also famous for his large murals, which can be found in many important edifices around the world. Castel died in 1991 leaving in his memory a distinct and unique artwork
