Cuban artist Oscar de La Portilla at DAAS

DAAS Co-Op Art Gallery & Gifts features the work of visual and textile artist Oscar de La Portilla in July.
The artist, who resides in his native Cuba, will be visiting Southwest Florida exclusively for this event. The opening reception is scheduled for Friday, July 5 from 6 to 10 p.m., in conjunction with the monthly Fort Myers Art Walk. The exhibition will be on display July 2 – 27.
De La Portilla is a painter, sculptor, potter, jewelry maker and fashion designer born and raised in the beautiful island of Cuba. He is a member of the Unión de Escritores Artistas (UNEAC) in Cuba and the National Association of Artisans and Artists (ACAA).
The artist started his artistic career in the 1980’s, using textile art and fashion design as a way of expression. He incorporated metals and stone jewelry in his designs as well. In the 1990’s, de La Portilla transitioned into sculpting, painting and pottery. In 1997 and 1998, he began painting on fabrics and designing fashion for various shows in his native Cuba, being one of the few artists selected to present his works for Pope John Paul II during his visit to the island. In 1999, the artist presented his textile collection entitled Transparencia at the Feria Internacional de Artesanía (FIART). Since then, he has continued to work in numerous projects including designing of the outfits for the musical group Síntesis and the Ballet Company of Liz Alfonzo. More recently, de La Porrilla participated in a collective exhibition at the Marion Cultural Alliance in Ocala.
During the month, the artist will present a series of paintings both on canvas and various textiles. The collection is bold and strong, with vibrant colors and floral motifs and other nature inspired shapes. The rich color applications and organic designs are very characteristics of the artist’s style. The artist is also hosting a workshop when he’ll be demonstrating his textile painting on Saturday, July 6, starting at 6 p.m. Registration will open soon on the gallery’s website.
DAAS Co-Op is located at 1815 Fowler St., Unit 3, in downtown Fort Myers. New business hours are Tuesday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery will open to the public on the first Sunday of every month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
More information can be found online at www.daascoop.com or by calling 239-590-8645.