Born in August 1957 in Santa Clara, Cuba, she grew up in the countryside. Throughout her career, she has been a teacher, poet, screenwriter, and producer for radio and television, as well as a storyteller, literary critic, and author of children's books. She began drawing in 2016, shortly before turning 59, heavily influenced by literature. Up to that point, she had worked as a teacher, housewife, freelance journalist, amateur actress, artist’s manager, producer, and radio host. She has written and published several books and professionally read the Marseille Tarot. Additionally, she has rescued around thirty stray cats and dogs.
She lived in Santiago, Chile, and moved to Miami in 2002, where the city, with its rapid growth and high-rise buildings, curiously reconnected her with her rural origins. She asserts that her drawings are what her eyes have seen, where she has lived, and the world she strives to invent for herself.
Emma has published two poetry collections for children: "Ocurrencias" and "El Alma en una Nube," a poetry collection for adults: "Sin Previo Aviso," and two novels for young readers: "Ikebana" and "Quién les Pone el Cascabel…" She has received two La Rosa Blanca awards—given to the best books of the year—and her novel "Ikebana," awarded the La Edad de Oro Prize in 1995, also received the Critics' Award. Her stories, articles, and poems have appeared in anthologies from various countries. She founded and edited the children's magazine Limón Partido. "Cielo Despejado" is her first illustrated album.
