Throughout his process-driven abstractions, Angel Otero investigates both his Puerto Rican heritage and the tactile possibilities of oil paint. In one of his most celebrated series, he begins by painting on panes of glass using a warm, saturated palette. As the paint dries, he scrapes away its pliable “skin,” then drapes it over a chosen support—canvas, tapestry, or even the armature of a steel sculpture—molding it into richly layered, textural compositions.To deepen the narrative resonance of these works, Otero occasionally overlays the skins with representational imagery drawn from photographs, family memorabilia, and memories of his upbringing in Puerto Rico—often inspired by objects from his grandmother’s home. His practice reflects the influence of art historical figures such as Pablo Picasso, Willem de Kooning, Joan Mitchell, and Georges Braque.Since earning his MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2009, Otero has exhibited widely, including at the Pérez Art Museum Miami, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the SCAD Museum of Art, the Museum of the African Diaspora, and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. His work has achieved six-figure prices at auction, underscoring his strong presence in the contemporary art market.