Myrna Báez was born in 1931. She got her bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico. She then traveled to Madrid, Spain where she got her Master's degree in Arts from the Royal Academy of Saint Ferdinand.

Ms. Baez's has explored in her work a large variety of graphical and pictorial mediums. She is equally at home with the airbrush, oils, block prints, serigraphy,  sculpture, among other mediums.

Her work is frequently influenced by the political and social circumstances of her home land. In this particular image, she paints the mangrove tree, a common sight along the coasts of Puerto Rico. The colors and lighting suggest life and rebirth, while the darkness where the tree grows its roots represents decay, confusion, and displacement.

Her work has inspired countless other artists in Puerto Rico, and through her constant struggle to question and redefine a woman's place in the art world, she has widened the scope of our understanding of all art.