Born in Lima, Peru, I spent my childhood in the Miraflores district, living in a large house with my maternal grandparents. They played a significant role in nurturing my love for nature. My grandfather, an avid traveler and animal lover, introduced me at a very young age to wildlife encyclopedias and National Geographic documentaries. I spent countless hours playing in our garden, which was full of different species of heliconias, flowers, and even a fruit orchard. Watching birds and butterflies and picking fresh fruit from the trees was my favorite pastime.
Television was limited—my grandfather allowed only nature or educational programs. My brother and I often pretended we were in the jungle, building ecosystems filled with bugs and even dinosaurs. My maternal grandmother, originally from Huánuco, a province in the high jungle of northern Peru, cared for the garden as if it were a member of the family. She talked to the roses and flowers, saying it helped them grow more beautifully. My father, a sea lover, introduced me to the coastal ecosystems, showing me seabirds and mollusks during our summers at the beach house.
Art has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. My paternal grandmother once showed me a photo of myself at a year and a half old, scribbling on a sheet of paper with a marker. She kept it to this day. Later, in school, I loved biology and leaned toward music. Although I wasn’t allowed to pursue a formal artistic career, I chose psychology as a profession because I have always had a strong desire to contribute to the world on a deeper, more conscious level. At 18, I painted on canvas for the first time without any formal training. That moment revealed an unexpected talent, and from then on, I never stopped.
While studying at the University of Lima, I continued painting both canvases and flowerpots. At 21, I started a business selling hand-painted pots, which became a stepping stone to seeing myself as an artist. In 2015, I traveled solo for the first time to Europe and took an art therapy course in Florence, Italy. That experience made me realize I could indeed be both an artist and a psychologist.
Two life-changing events significantly shaped my perspective and artistic style. The first was taking part in an Ayahuasca ceremony at the age of 20, a path I continued exploring for four more years. I had the privilege of learning from Maestro Pedro Pérez, a member of the Shipibo-Conibo people from the Vencedor community in Pucallpa, Peru. He carried and shared ancestral wisdom about medicinal plants as a service to humanity. With psychological guidance alongside, this experience led me to deep self-awareness and frequent travels to remote jungle communities. These journeys transformed the way I see life, fostering an understanding of coexistence and a deep appreciation for all beings as part of the larger whole we call nature.
This was the beginning of my mission to protect, value, and make visible the countless species and ecosystems around us. I began incorporating science as the foundation of my artistic research, studying the biodiversity of the Peruvian territory and changing my signature to my current artistic name: PSY.
In the following years, my fascination with Peru’s biological richness deepened, many species were unknown even to locals. I began birdwatching, observing flowers and fungi, doing real fieldwork, and painting the species I encountered firsthand. I soon realized that many of them were endemic and endangered, which became a powerful motivation to paint, speak about, and study them. In early 2024, I bought land near the Cordillera Escalera Reserve in Tarapoto. I felt – and still feel – a strong need to protect the beings that inhabit this part of the world. This step strengthened my life’s purpose and brought me closer to the species I deeply value.
The ocean is another ecosystem I hold dear. Through surfing, I have developed a profound connection with the sea and its creatures – a relationship that began in childhood and continues today, as I still live by the coast.
All of this has fueled my artistic evolution and led conservation projects, businesses, hotels, and NGOs to support my work. I took it further by organizing cultural initiatives with conservation NGOs and creating educational workshops that help children connect with and value their environment. I have designed emotionally impactful educational programs throughout Peru, beginning with workshops for artisan mothers at Muyuna Lodge in Iquitos. I have also collaborated with Lades Perú, which protects the endangered Marvelous Spatuletail hummingbird, as well as with Conservamos por Naturaleza in programs focused on the Amazilia hummingbird, among others.
Painting large-scale murals allows for social impact – it invites interaction and makes art more accessible. I have participated in various festivals and art exhibitions arround Perú , even in different parts of the Peruvian jungle where mural art is an accessible tool to value the biodiversity. Also, I had the opportunity to exhibit and paint across the world. My first solo exhibition was in Dublin, Ireland. In 2023, I painted live and exhibited at the Banksy Museum in Barcelona, where I connected with many fellow artists. That same year, I participated in the international bird fair in Mindo, Ecuador. In 2024, I was invited to the Global Birdfair in the UK, where I painted live and presented my work to a passionate naturalist audience. That year I also traveled to Munich, Florence, and Barcelona to continue painting and exhibiting.
Alongside my visual art, I began designing my own nature-inspired clothing brand. To date, I have released four swimwear collections (one each summer), and throughout the year I design various pieces inspired by my encounters with Peruvian butterflies and my relationship with the sea. I have also created eco-friendly journals and sticker sheets inspired by Peruvian birds. Design truly excites me, and this year I developed my first brand book for a company that supports Peruvian artisans. Since 2021, I also worked as a tattoo artist, creating and inking designs inspired by native species and nature.
I have continued traveling throughout Peru, creating murals in eco-tourist lodges and businesses that value the natural world. So far, I’ve painted in nine different regions. This year, I was also invited to Costa Rica, where I completed murals at three eco-tourism-focused hotels.I believe there is still a long road ahead in environmental education and the integration of art into this effort. My life’s mission is to inspire new generations to value and understand their biological heritage so they will want to learn more about it. I dream of a future where eco-tourism becomes a key economic driver in my country, and where art and artistic careers are viable and accessible paths. I see art as a powerful tool for awareness, emotional impact, and communication – one that can converge with science to make knowledge accessible beyond academic circles. We are at a critical turning point for the future of our species and the planet’s health. I hope more people take action and realize that we are not separate from nature – we are nature.
In the future, I envision myself designing more eco-educational programs, painting murals around the world, exploring diverse ecosystems, conserving land, and creating spaces that foster environmental connection and education.
