Born in Cuba and raised in Miami, I started taking painting classes at the age of ten with a Cuban artist who had studied in Spain. So, my training was traditional.

When I moved to Baltimore to attend graduate school, I began to investigate my culture and personal history. I started recalling Sunday dinners at the home of one of my many surrogate grandmothers, where I would sit in a rocking chair and stare at her household Santería shrine. I loved trying to figure out what all the different components meant. I also recalled the local botanica and the smell of the incense that would travel out into the street. My work was made up of wood canvas and paint; it had a spiritual element as well, especially one with an Afro-Cuban feel.

I paint what I enjoy, often mixing Baroque elements, particularly those of Latin America, with components of Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. I put things together that make sense to me visually and, when combined, serve to demonstrate who I am.