Painter Wilfredo Chiesa was born in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Since completing his formal training he has held over twenty five solo exhibitions in galleries and museums in the US, Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Panama and Puerto Rico. He has also participated in the Sao Paulo Biennial, as well as the biennials of Ljubljana, Fredrickstad, Medellin, and Cuenca.

His many group exhibitions include shows in New York, Miami, Boston, Washington, San Juan, Santo Domingo, Seville, Ibiza, Catania and Venice. Chiesa has been a visiting artist at several academic institutions including the Fine Arts Academy of Guangzhou, China, and Ochanomizu University in Tokyo, Japan. While on sabbatical leave, Chiesa has relocated his studio to Spain, Germany and Italy.

His works are included in public collections in the Americas and Europe. Chiesa is Professor of Art at the University of Massachusetts Boston. He lives in Cambridge with his wife and two children.