BIOGRAPHY OF EDDIE WHAREZ

Eddie Wharez is quite a personality here in Puerto Peñasco! I have not yet met a person who hasn’t heard of him; still I was drawn to him as an elusive, mysterious and possibly eccentric character.

I had the opportunity to be with Eddie in a neutral environment, in a creative writing workshop, where in one way or another many of our demeanors and postures remain outside. This event showed me someone who is on the one hand serious and completely immersed in what he does, and on the other side an individual with an easy smile, fun, and even somewhat of a rascal….but to be honest, he maintained that halo of mystery.

It was during a small gathering that I proposed we do an interview, and he gratefully accepted. He would be waiting for me at his shop, with coffee, so we could chat and I could get to know him.

I arrived around noon, and the façade of the building honestly appeared a bit simple to me. Yet, upon crossing the threshold, as if by magic, it seemed as if you were transported to another site.

“I am an interior decorator, that is what I do,” he confessed once I remarked upon the store’s outside. “That is the intent, the contrast between these two visions highlights my work. I like to see my store, my place of work, as a treasure chest.”

The store is visually quite attractive and, though eclectic, it does not clash. I couldn’t resist the temptation to look around; it felt like I was entering different corners of home environments. Everything is delicately situated; wherever you look there is an element that catches the eye. Even the bathroom is decorated! “Economic use of space,” according to Eddie.