I am originally from Seville, Spain, and since childhood my passion has been two-fold: art and design. Often underestimated in historical reconstruction, both fields offer an exceptional lens into the social, political, and cultural forces that define a given society. This conviction has guided my professional path from the start.

I pursued a Bachelor’s in Humanities and Translation and Interpreting (English,French, and German) at Universidad Pablo de Olavide, where the interdisciplinary nature of my studies strengthened my interest in cultural narratives. Later, I completed a Master’s in Art History at Utrecht University, focusing on the intersection of fashion, material culture, and identity formation. Fashion fascinates me for its socio-political dimension, mediating personal expression and public interpretation. Although fashion features prominently in my work, I approach it from an interdisciplinary perspective, as one dynamic component within the broader design landscape.

My Master’s thesis explored conflicting national identities through fashion, focusing on Empress Eugénie de Montijo and her adaptation of Spanish garments, such as the lace mantilla, into the French imperial image. Based on this research, I was invited by the Hispanic Society in New York to serve as guest curator for the upcoming exhibition The Mantilla: Interlacing Identities (Fall 2026), a role I currently hold. The exhibition examines the mantilla as an evolving symbol of constructed Spanishness. As lead curator, I oversee the content framework, including object selection and research narrative, while collaborating with museum departments,managing loans, cultivating sponsors, and supervising the exhibition catalogue.

Having lived in Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, and holding curatorial and cultural management positions at institutions such as Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Modemuze, OMA, Modemuseum Hasselt, Museo del Traje, and most recently the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, I have learned that the true strength of the art and design community lies in the community itself. It reflects and shapes the diversity of its production and collections, transcends disciplines and borders, and remains resilient despite underfunding or institutional precarity.

This is why I was delighted to join the 30UNDER30 Mentorship Program. Its values—collaboration over competition—mirror the type of cultural ecosystem I want to help build. The program has been deeply inspiring: from masterclasses to fellow mentees, and especially through the guidance of my mentor—and now friend—Junia Jorgji, Director of International Development at France Muséums. Her combination of international vision, intellectual engagement, and warmth has offered me not only expertise but lasting personal insight that will shape my career.