Meet the Las Vegas artist behind life-size Kourtney Kardashian pinata

Kourtney Kardashian took a beating during her birthday party at the hands of her famous relatives.

They couldn’t have done it, though, without Las Vegas artist Omar Soto.

His life-size depiction of the reality star in pinata form was the centerpiece of her mostly drive-by celebration Saturday in Calabasas, California, and the reaction to it gave him the confidence he’d been lacking in his chosen medium.

“I’ve always dealt with, ‘Is it art? Is it a craft? Is it even valuable?’ ” Soto says of his work in pinatas. “ ‘Do people even consider it interesting?’ ”

Given that the 5-foot-1-inch creation portrayed Kourtney in a bright blue bikini — complete with Minnie Mouse-style ears and bow, as well as a prominent derriere — “interesting” barely even cracks the surface.

‘Now what do I do?’

Soto, 31, became fascinated with pinatas at an early age in his Mexican hometown of Las Nieves, Durango. His family relocated to Las Vegas in 1994, but the local offerings couldn’t measure up to the vibrant creations he remembered. Before long, he was taking them apart to study them and began making his own. He was 7 years old.

“The pinata making was always my little passion on the side, but it required so much time that that was put on hold,” Soto says.

When he graduated from Desert Pines in 2007, neither college nor art schools were available options. He went to work in food service, primarily in family-owned Mexican restaurants. A decade later, he moved downtown to be closer to his job and discovered the Arts District. His new neighbors — along with a meeting with local artist Justin Favela — inspired him to tap into his creative side.

ReBar owner Derek Stonebarger was his first client, hiring Soto to create a 6-foot hot dog and a massive beer pinata that are part of the permanent decor. His work also hangs in Viva Mercado’s.

“I was doing that in between serving and working,” Soto says of his first love. “Then the corona hit. It just became, like, ‘Now what do I do?’ ”

He’d been a fan of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” back in the day and was something of a regular at the Kardashian Khaos store at The Mirage until it closed in 2014. Friends had sent him photos of Kim Kardashian West celebrating events with pinatas and encouraged him to reach out to the family. After a little internet sleuthing, Soto found an email address and pitched his services. Within two days, he was on the phone with Cici Bussey, who commissioned the project.

Bussey ran Kardashian Khaos, and Soto knew her as “Cici from the store” — not as the family confidante and first cousin of its late patriarch, Robert Kardashian Sr.

“I thought, ‘Oh, my God, this is perfect,’ ” Bussey says of his ideas.

Kourtney’s 41 birthday was a few weeks away, and Bussey was contemplating a pinata in the shape of the TV star’s head for the surprise, socially distant party organized by sister Khloe. When he learned they’d done something similar at other parties, Soto says he offered up the full-bodied design, despite having no idea if he could pull it off.

“I was just saying, ‘Yes, yes, yes,’ ” he recalls. “After that, I was, like, ‘What did I get myself into?’ ”

Bussey supplied a photo of Kourtney in her favorite bikini and recommended the Minnie Mouse touches. They communicated every day for more than two weeks, sharing updated designs, until it was time to ship the finished product.

‘It just blew my mind’

Soto hadn’t undertaken a project like this and was stunned by the nearly $500 shipping quote. Bussey says he refused to stick her with those costs, so he drove it to her home in Calabasas, a 600-mile round trip. “I don’t know that many people who would do that,” she admits.

“She loved it. Loved it,” Bussey says of Kourtney’s reaction to his work. “Everybody said it was the hit of the party. I don’t want to say my gift was the best. Everybody had signs and balloons. But a pinata, made to order, exactly the same size?”

While the adults mostly stayed in their cars, Kourtney’s 5-year-old son, Reign, took several whacks at it, followed by Kim’s children, 4-year-old Saint and 6-year-old North.

“It was probably one of the most memorable birthday parties yet,” Bussey says.

That’s a bold statement, considering the family is famous for its extravagant bashes such as Stormi World. That 2019 blowout, celebrating the first birthday of Stormi Webster, the daughter of Kylie Jenner and rapper Travis Scott, came with its own merch and saw DJ Khaled gifting the infant with a Chanel bag.

Kourtney’s drive-by event was far tamer. But, in a world temporarily starved of Kardashian news, fans ate up what they saw on social media. Soto says he’s already been contacted by several of them through his Instagram, @pinatadesignlv, and they’re asking for their own. It’s difficult to imagine the response once footage hits the show. (Bussey confirms the event was being filmed.)

“This was something new for me,” Soto says of the attention. “I’m, like, ‘Wow. Something that I made with my hands, it’s all over the place.’ It’s just interesting. I never did it for any recognition.”

Now he’s exploring ways to turn his passion into a full-time business, even as he remains somewhat bewildered by the turn of events.

“They’re, like, A-list celebrities, right? I’m, like, ‘Why would she take a chance on a pinata maker from Las Vegas?’

“It just blew my mind how somebody did believe in my art.”

Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567. Follow @life_onthecouch on Twitter.