Amado Maurillo Pena, a mestizo of Mexican and Yaqui Indian descent, was born in 1943 and raised in Laredo, Texas. His art focuses on Hispanic and Native American figures and has been described as capturing the essence of the Southwest. With bold color, form, and the dynamics of composition, Pena communicates his vision of a land, a people, and their art. He is a prolific artist and restless creative energy keeps him at work in his studios in Santa Fe and Austin.

According to Pena, "I feel blessed having seen and touched the beautiful things that speak so proud of who we are. Our gifts to the world are our history and our art."