Biography

Anabel Ruiz studied Business Administration, deaf to the voice of her soul that constantly reminded her that her passion is art and that her life should follow that passion. And so she graduated from college very well prepared to “make a living”, but empty and dissatisfied; knowing that making a living is not equal to living itself, but blind to her true calling and not knowing where to turn. In the midst of this existential search for meaning her life suddenly took a 90-degree turn and she decided to become a nun, entering religious life. She entered two different congregations, first in Miami, followed by service in Fatima, Portugal. During eight years of religious service, bound by vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty, she anonymously produced dozens of artworks in different mediums; works that currently grace churches, convents and the homes of private church patrons. In 2011, after much soul-searching, she envisioned a different future for herself and left religious life, returning to Miami, to face new challenges and create a new future – a future where her art, now free and without restrictions, truly reflects the journey to self-acceptance that has been her life.