Ileana Maria Rojas-Bennett was born in Costa Rica’s capital city of San Jose. She is a descendant of the Maleku Indian tribe. “I was fortunate enough to grow up in the home of an outstanding artist. In fact, my most basic childhood memory is one of my mother’s portraits and sculptures. My early years were filled with bright colors and fantastic shapes and designs. She was and still is my primary influence.”

“After completing a master’s degree in education, I moved to the United States in 1992 and discovered the beauty of stained glass, which led to glass fusing. I quickly realized the colors that were being created in my kilns were reminiscent of the vast kaleidoscope of colors I knew as a little girl in my native country. After learning silversmithing, I combined the two to create the wonderful jewelry offered at Maleku.”

(link for background of the tribe and location)