Ana Mendieta was born in Havana, Cuba in 1948 and came to the United States in 1961 with her sister through Operation Peter Pan. She and her sister were relocated to Iowa where they were fostered by various local families. In 1978, after attending the University of Iowa, she moved to New York City to pursue her career as an artist. She is most noted for her site-specific sculpture as well as outdoor performance art. Her artworks include performances, drawings, installations, photographs and sculptures, many depicting female body forms created from natural materials such as soil, sand, grass and water. The works she created were mainly ephemeral and have only been preserved though the photos and videos she has taken.