I was born on January 14, 1978, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 1977, my father and uncle founded Jardín Selecto, one of the largest garden centers in the San Juan metropolitan area, which I currently manage with my sister. As a young boy, I helped out at the garden center, an experience that sparked my interest in plants and bonsai.

When I was in sixth grade, I took my first bonsai class with Master Pedro Morales. My first steps were with the shohin bonsai, as I was fascinated by its size and the techniques needed to maintain the correct proportions. As I grew older, my passion for learning grew, leading me to appreciate bonsai of all sizes. For this reason, I have taught basic and intermediate courses on the art of bonsai at our garden center for the past 17 years.

 

From 2008 to 2012, Pedro Morales and I founded an event called Shohin Tropical. For the past 15 years, I have been the director of Bonsai Shohin of Puerto Rico, an association dedicated to studying, improving, and promoting the art of bonsai.

In 2015, I joined Bonsai Clubs International (BCI) as Director for Latin America. In April 2015, one of my trees was selected as Tree of the Month on the BCI website.

Some of my trees have won several awards. One of the most important was "Best in Show" at the 2023 National Bonsai Festival in Puerto Rico.

 

I have organized the following bonsai events over the past 10 years:

◦ Tropical Bonsai Symposium: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023

◦ Tropical Bonsai Excellence: 2021

◦ Shohin Bonsai Weekend: 2019, 2022, 2024

In 2019, I participated as a speaker at the U.S. National Shohin Bonsai Exhibition in North Carolina.

My purpose in the art of bonsai is to help spread the joy that this art brings to the people of Puerto Rico.

​