Olivia Peguero: Biography

​

Early Life and Dual Landscapes

​Olivia Peguero is a South Florida visual artist. Born in the Dominican Republic, she was raised between two contrasting worlds: the lush tropical town of Miches on the east coast and the arid, striking beauty of Las Salinas in the southwest. These opposing landscapes—one where the earth cracks from drought and another where rain saturates the air with the scent of moss—became her first artistic influences.

Her passion for art awakened when she arrived in Miches at the age of seven. She vividly recalls crossing the river at La Boca, holding tightly to her aunt’s arm against the current, before emerging onto Playa Arriba. There, the sight of the cerulean ocean and an untouched coconut-lined shoreline left a lasting imprint on her imagination and spirit.

​

Education and the Journey North

Following in the footsteps of her parents, who had emigrated to New York City in search of greater opportunity, Olivia moved to Upper Manhattan the day after graduating from Colegio Mahatma Gandhi High School in Santo Domingo. Her early years in New York were spent working in the garment industry, an experience that quickly taught her the transformative value of education.

She earned an Associate degree in Information Systems from New York University, followed by a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from Mercy University, New York. After relocating to Florida, she completed an MBA at Nova Southeastern University.

 

In Boca Raton, Florida, Olivia reconnected with the tropical landscape and with the flower of her childhood: the hibiscus, known in Spanish as “cayena.” In Florida, this flower seemed to be everywhere in landscapes, front yards, and gardens. Seeing it so often became a sign for her to honor her undeniable call to the arts.

Despite building a successful career in technology, Olivia felt an increasing pull toward a more meaningful creative path. Inspired by years of listening to National Public Radio and driven by a lifelong connection to nature, she made the courageous decision to fully dedicate herself to art. She returned to school and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Painting from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. She also pursued complementary studies at the Boca Raton Museum Art School, reflecting her love of learning and her commitment to strengthening her artistic practice.

 

Artistic Practice and Philosophy

Rooted in the en plein air tradition, Olivia’s work is an ongoing dialogue with nature. Working primarily in oil paint, she immerses herself in the landscapes of Florida, the Dominican Republic, and England. Her artistic language reflects admiration for the great masters: the compositions of Meindert Hobbema, the naturalism of John Constable, the luminous light of Joaquín Sorolla, and the boundless curiosity of Leonardo da Vinci.

Her paintings extend beyond aesthetic representation; they serve as a call for environmental stewardship and cultural preservation. Through her work, Olivia advocates for the protection and preservation of nature, using painting as a tool to reveal its grandeur, beauty, connection, and value. She hopes her paintings of Boca Raton’s beaches can serve as an educational tool, showing that preservation is possible even within an urban coastal city.

 

Her work also speaks to the fragile ecosystems of the Dominican Republic, particularly Miches, reminding communities that they are the ultimate guardians of their natural heritage.

Throughout her series, Olivia employs recurring symbols that reflect the cyclical stages of life: birth, existence, transformation, and renewal. Through themes drawn from flowers, coastal life, and native landscapes, she honors the fragile beauty of the natural world. Olivia hopes her paintings remind viewers to live and love fully while honoring and protecting the nature that sustains us.