Archway Gallery presents Diverse-City, An Ode to Houston Featuring New Photographs by Isabelle Perreau

HOUSTON, TX -- Archway Gallery presents Diverse-City, An Ode to Houston, featuring photography by Isabelle Perreau. The exhibit will be on view October 3 through November 5, 2020 on the gallery website.

When Isabelle Perreau first “met” Houston twenty years ago, she was not seduced by its beauty. Instead, she recalls, “I saw scary highways, like the tentacles of a gigantic octopus, and ugly buildings juxtaposed without harmony, the immensity of the town, and the suffocating weather.” Her first impressions of our city were colored by her personal frame of reference which was of Paris, France, one of the world’s most beautiful and culturally rich cities.

But, Perreau was undaunted. Ever the curious traveler, she donned her “explorer’s outfit,” and began to get acquainted with her new city, neighborhood by neighborhood. As she did so, she was surprised to discover a fascinating, multi-faceted city – “a big lady with many different faces.” Along Houston’s streets, Perreau found the whole world united -- colorful India, fragrant China, joyful Latin America, and expansive Africa. “It was like traveling without having to take the plane!” she recounts. Under Houston’s inhospitable shell, Perreau discovered its irresistible charm, it’s diversity, and the deep wealth of its intertwined cultures. “I was conquered and fell in love,” she exclaims. “I embraced my new hometown from the bottom of my heart.”

Perreau’s exploration is not finished. “Houston doesn’t reveal herself all at once,” she explains. “You need to be curious, open, and enthusiastic to tame her. She is in a perpetual transformation, reinventing herself at every minute. She is an adventure!” This exhibition from Isabelle Perreau is a tribute to her adopted home. “It’s a love letter to Houston -- a ‘photographic ode.’ She deserves it!”

Perreau’s work in this exhibition is a reflection of her deep belief that Houston’s diversity and international character is the source of its strength and richness. “Houston is the most diverse city in the United States,” she notes. “This, of course, is the result of immigration.” Perreau sees Houston as a shining example of a multitude of nationalities and religions living together in respect, solidarity, and friendship. “It’s a human lesson for everyone that, with decency and respect, peace is possible.”


Exhibition October 3 -- November 5, 2020

Virtual Opening & Artist Talk

October 3 at 6:30 p.m.
ArchwayGallery.com or Facebook Live

Gallery Hours: Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday 1 – 5 p.m.

See Gallery website for updates, www.archwaygallery.com.

Private Tours may be scheduled by appointment. info@archwaygallery.com