What a pleasure it was to gather together in the home of artist Angela Dillon last week. The throng was a Who’s Who of Houston artists, gallery owners, architects and real estate professionals. The setting, too, was as unique as the crowd.
Angela was born in Campeche, Mexico and studied art in Bogota, Aberdeen and London. She has exhibited her paintings worldwide, including Houston, Galveston, New York, Toronto, Mexico City, London, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. Angela is a member of the Executive Committee of the Latinas Art Council of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Seeing Angela in the setting of her home and studio was just a bit like visiting Giverny in order to appreciate Monet and his artwork. Angela describes herself as “umbilically attached” to the colors and textures of her Mexican homeland. Beyond the serene contemporary facade of her West U home lies a riotous kaleidoscope of color, pattern and texture. This soaring loft-like space is her real working painter’s studio. It is layered with Angela’s eclectic collection of folk art (everything from African masks to Egyptian textiles) which she has assembled throughout her world-wide travels. Her canvases are spectacular in themselves -- but even humble, everyday objects such as lampshades, wastebaskets and sangria pitchers have been given the artist’s embellishment. These objects are always in use, so the collection is fresh, ever-changing and always visually interesting.
Thank you, Angela Dillon, for sharing the vibrant tapestry of your home and life with us.
Roger Martin