About Us

**Ernesto Peña Jr.**

**ABOUT EPJART STUDIOS**

Art by Ernesto Peña Jr.

Ernesto Peña Jr. was born in Brooklyn, NY, during the summer of love in 1966. He was born legally blind, but despite his visual impairment, he pursued his education in New York until high school, where he considered a career as an artist. During this time, he was inspired and trained by his father, master artisan Ernesto Peña Carambot. He also learned painting techniques by watching “The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross” in the 1970s as a teenager. This show provided him with a way to learn brush techniques without feeling embarrassed about his sight.

After being rejected by the High School of Art and Design and the High School of Performing Arts, Ernesto became discouraged and stopped pursuing art. He left New York and traveled between the Caribbean island of Vieques, PR; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Colorado; and the US Virgin Islands, working as a bartender until the age of 26. Eventually, he decided to pursue a career in technology.

In 1996, Ernesto attended and graduated from Lions World Services for the Blind, which is accredited by the University of Arkansas, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. At that time, LWSB was the only institution in the U.S. where individuals who were blind or had severely low vision could earn a Bachelor's in Computer Science.

Ernesto began his career as a Systems Engineer. A few years later, he received a remarkable opportunity to design and implement multi-million dollar computer systems on cruise ships and mega yachts. Throughout his career, he had the chance to visit and work in 44 countries around the world.

After 23 years in the field, Ernesto was forced to retire due to the onset of a cataract in his remaining good eye at the age of 52, which nearly rendered him completely blind. Following surgery, he not only recovered his vision but also experienced significant improvement in his eyesight. Although he still has considerable vision impairment, for someone who had never experienced good vision before, this improvement felt like a miracle.

With this newfound perspective, Ernesto decided to share his experiences and insights on how he perceives the world. He hopes you enjoy his viewpoint, support him, and appreciate his art.