VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

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. 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.

About Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is a nonprofit visual arts center dedicated to advancing education about the process, product and history of craft. HCCC provides exhibition, retail and studio spaces to support the work of local and national artists and serves as a resource for artists, educators and the community at large.

Located in the Museum District at 4848 Main Street, HCCC is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM – 5 PM, and Sunday, 12 – 5 PM. Note: HCCC will be closed on Sundays during August of 2009. Admission is free. Accessible parking is available directly behind the facility, off Travis Street. HCCC is 1½ blocks south of the Wheeler Avenue MetroRail station on Main Street.

HCCC is funded in part by grants from The Brown Foundation; Houston Endowment, Inc.; the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance; and Texas Commission on the Arts. Continental Airlines is the official airline of Houston Center for Contemporary Craft.

For more information, call 713/529-4848 or visit www.crafthouston.org.

Pictured above: Omar Angel Perez, Serpentine Liaison, 2009. Ebony, snake skin, maple, band saw blades. 37"h x 16"w x 9"d. Photo by Katharine Landmeier.

Pictured below:

1.  detail  Omar Angel Perez, Serpentine Liaison, 2009. Ebony, snake skin, maple, band saw blades. 37"h x 16"w x 9"d. Photo by Katharine Landmeier.

2.  Omar Angel Perez, Roller Girl, 2009. Quilted Maple, Antique Wheels, Rosewood, Leather, Band Saw Blades. 21"h x 9"w x 4"d. Photo by Katharine Landmeier.

3.  Omar Angel Perez, Satine, 2009.Walnut burl, Quilted Maple, Swarovski crystals, Band Saw Blades. 18"h x 9"w x 4"d. Photo by Katharine Landmeier.