Angel E. Perez “Family Ties”

Family Ties, 2024, Ink and graphite. 

About the Work:

Growing up, my parents had a set of medical encyclopedias filled with anatomy diagrams that fascinated me. Creating art with skulls helps me to focus and relieve stress, but I often improvise, discovering the meaning of most pieces as I work. About eight years ago, I began adding “bleeps and bloops” (distortions and artifacts) to my art, which I later realized were manifestations of my visual experience due to a yet undiagnosed eye disease.

This piece reflects the belief that while parents age, their children remain young in their eyes. The infantile skull symbolizes the child, surrounded by weathered parental skulls. The bleeps and bloops represent the knowledge and experience parents impart, while webs of love bond and shield the child from harm.

I have tangential connections to my extended family in Puerto Rico, having visited only once as a child. My parents’ stories of growing up in the 50s contrasted with nostalgic media, teaching me that the past wasn’t always golden. This type of contrast is something I hope reflects in my work. 

About the Artist:

Angel E. Perez is a multimedia art maker and lives with his wife in Hinckley, IL. Angel is the baby of his family: His parents and brother were born in Puerto Rico, while he and his sister are from Aurora, IL.

His love for animals led to an over two decade career as a veterinary assistant. In 2020, Angel was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye disease that will eventually take most of his vision. This prompted a transition to home-based work.

Primarily self-taught, Angel’s passion for art grew after a life drawing course in 2007. His diverse artistic range includes pet portraits (many of his own patients) and what he calls “weird shit,” like dragons, skulls, twisted fairy tales, imaginary landscapes, and playful doodles.

Angel is gaining recognition for his anatomy-based art, including subjects of zoology, anthropology, and horror. His styles range from expressive realism to meticulous stippling to crisp line art mixed with scribbles.

Angel aims to evoke emotions and inspire with his art, creating works that are open to interpretation and nuanced, yet don’t take themselves too seriously. “Lots of people say they try to show the beauty in the darkness. I like to think that I am exposing the darkness to those that were sheltered from it.”

Follow Angel’s journey on Instagram: @PumpkinGizzard.