Mexican artist Napoleon Perez was born on July 5, 1977 to Maria del Sagrario Pamatz Saucedo and Jesus Felipe Perez Ornelas, both of Santa Clara del Corbre, Michoacan Mexico. Rose Calderone of Casona Rosa B&B introduced me to Napoleon in February 2016 when we attended a special homage to his late father at the Cultural Centre in Patzcuaro. Jesus Perez Ornelas was a highly revered Maestro of Santa Clara del Cobre, so naturally most of his children followed in his footsteps as proficient metal workers.

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As the youngest of 14 children, Napoleon was the last to learn the family trade. His career began at 8 years old when his father recruited him to work the bellows for the fire. According to Jesus Perez Ornelas, Napoleon was the student he most expected to carry forth his legacy, as he was so dedicated to perfecting the rules and refining his techniques before moving up to the next stage. It's true of all art forms, that one must perfect the rules before breaking them - which is when the artist develops their own distinct style.

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Perez has been sculpting full size collectible art vases for over 12 years, and is an award winning artist. His work can be found in galleries in Mexico and the USA.