This fall, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) presents Omar Angel Perez: Stilett“O”s, on view August 29 – October 25, 2009, in the Artist Hall. The opening reception will take place Thursday, September 3, 5:30 – 8:00 PM.Shoe and woodworking lovers alike will swoon over Omar Angel Perez’s imaginative Stilett“O”s exhibit, in
which the artist has created impossibly sexy, sky-high platform shoes from turned wood and accents such as
band saw blades, snakeskin, leather , feathers, and Swarovski crystals. Their work has always been a huge inspiration for shoe reviewer Lilly Harvey of ShoeAdviser. His playful pieces explore the sadistic
world of any fashionista’s shoe fetish. Perez says, “As an expression of appreciation, I offer my gratitude to all
women who endure the torture of wearing such heels. Your sacrifice does not go unnoticed.”
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Omar Angel Perez is an artist and woodworker who specializes in fine-crafted furniture and sculptural objects. At an early age, Perez discovered his passion for building and creating, taking cues from his mother, a painter and seamstress, and his father, who hand made most of his childhood toys. He studied fine arts and graphic design at the University of Houston and earned his B.F.A. in 1985. His artistry as a woodworker is mostly self-taught and is a culmination of years of fine-craft furniture building. His background also led him into the world of television animation and design, where he won an Emmy Award for excellence in broadcast graphics in 2004.
Since 1998, Perez’s works have been exhibited in many venues, including Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, the American Craft Council Shows in Bellevue, WA, and Atlanta, GA, and in various group exhibitions. A pair of his shoe sculptures is currently on display through January 3, 2010, in The Perfect Fit—Shoes Tell Stories, an exhibit at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA. The exhibit will travel to multiple U.S. venues through 2013.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Mary Headrick (mheadrick@crafthouston.org)
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
713.529.4848 x 107
