My name is Ana Sofia Lebron Gonzalez, but everyone calls me Anita. I am 23 years old, born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico in a sector called Cupey. Ever since I was a little girl, art has been a part not just of my life, but of me. I have been painting for as long as I can remember, and never went to school for it. My father would catch me drawing usually, and always came over to make small adjustments to anything I was doing at the time. Slowly but surely, the day came when he never edited my drawings again, it was the only time he ever gave me a nod of approval. Never have I shared my art to be sold, because all I’ve wanted is to share it with the world and be a true painter. To live for the craft, not for the money it would bring me. Still, God and friends put it in my heart that it was time to venture into the unknown and pass on a piece of me to all of you.

ArtesAna is born from the name Artesano (which translates to artesan), where I am from an “artesan” is a very respected job, mostly elders are the ones doing it nowadays. It is not only the creation of art, but art that commemorates our culture, and is made with our hands. Nothing would make me happier than to continue my ancestors legacy and be an artisan. Ironically my name is in the word. Works out perfectly! And so ArtesAna became my name.

I hope to connect people with my art, to share my culture around the world and leave my foot print with my art as my legacy. I hope you love it as much as I do.