Vladimir Cora was born in Nayarit, Mexico in 1951. It wasn’t until age 15, when Cora saw a print of Monet’s “Water Lilies” in the pharmacy where he worked, that he knew he wanted to be a painter. Though entirely self-taught, Cora was mentored by the great Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo, whom he met in 1978. They reamined close until Tamayo’s death in 1991. Cora adopted a colorful and surrealist style all his own, and one that has caught the attention of art collectors and critics around the world. Cora's work is included in the permanent exhibitions at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Internacional Rufino Tamayo, the Museo de Arte Moderno, the Museo de Arte de Queretaro, the Everson Museum of Art and the Knoxville Museum of Art. Cora currently lives and works in Santa Ana, California, where he is often inspired by the vibrant Mexican population. Cora's drawings, etchings, acrylic on linen and mixed media works were recently exhibited in Los Angeles at the Consolate of Mexico.