Elio Vilva Trujillo was born in Trinidad, Cuba in 1957. He is a self-taught artist and fundamentally very influenced by the Santeria religion, a fusion of Yoruba and Roman Catholic doctrines. His paintings in the main are an exploration of his psychological and religious references to include symbolic imagery, mythological metaphors, Masonic and ritualistic ceremonies to create intricate and complex narratives in bright, flat often primary colours.