Born in San Antonio, Texas, Thelma Muraida began her artistic journey in grade school with interests in drawing and piano. Her formative years were filled with visits to art museums and exposure to classical music. On entering college however, she put her music training aside and began to focus on the visual arts.
She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity University, and continued her training with graduate work in printmaking and textiles at Eastern Michigan University and the Art Student’s League in New York. Her work in these areas has received several awards in fine art and print-based media.
With a background in painting, printmaking, and graphic design, she uses her choice of media to reflect her inner voice, telling a story with intense colors, indigenous designs and weaving patterns and textures. She incorporates semblances of ancient design into her work – reinterpreting them to create a new expression of tribute to the past.
Muraida has used her education and experience to good effect, working in the fields of graphic design and children’s book illustration.