My parents, Elena and Manuel, immigrated from Puerto Rico and settled in the Bronx, where I was born in 1956. Our family lived between East Harlem and the Bronx. Growing up in public housing, with neighbors from many different cultures and languages, allowed me, from an early age, to live a very open life.

I lived in a creative household, with my mother sewing and my sisters Mayra and Brunilda painting in watercolors and doing beadwork. I expressed myself by drawing and making toys out of cardboard. I attended the High School of Art and Design from 1970 until 1974.

I was attracted to public art, creating murals whenever possible, but I also worked in other mediums such as theater arts and printmaking. My passion for music and culture were constant themes of expression. I was able to share my creativity as an art instructor for many years, in schools as well as museums and arts organizations.

I always loved Carnaval. In 1984 I traveled to Bahia, Brazil, where I developed a spiritual practice with a Candomblé community that would impact my creative voice in my art. It was the beginning of a whole new chapter in my life. My first mosaic was for the temple in that community. I was intrigued by the process. I studied under masters in Mexico City and in Ravenna, Italy. Paint fades. Mosaics are about permanence.

My current mission is to continue exploring my personal and collective presence and impact in this country, merging classical artistry with current themes of our daily living, to continue in formulating the cultural presence of the ‘’Americas’’. This intention comes from a spiritual calling on a very personal level, that inspires me to live very willingly and generously.