José Ventura was born in 1955 in the village of San Pedro Nonualco, El Salvador. He went to school in the village and drove his teachers to despair by covering his note books with drawings instead of doing the work he was assigned.He moved to the capital, San Salvador, when he was 17 in order to attend art school. Three years later, armed with a diploma in architectural drawing, he joined the National Museum of Anthropology of San Salvador to work first as a graphic designer and then as a model maker. All the while, he strove to develop his art and took part in many exhibitions. He won a scholarship from the Organization of American States and went to Mexico to study museography. When he returned to his home country, the political situation was deteriorating.In 1980, because of political violence, José was forced to flee to Mexico. He came to Canada a year later. Since then, he has been painting and developing his artistic vision.Growing up in a traditional Latin American village has been a determining influence on his work as an artist. José has also designed and executed stained glass pieces, some for churches and many for private collections. He has perfected the blending of the traditional techniques of glasswork, fusing and painting to create pieces which bear the full flavour of his style. In 1996, with his partner Yves Trudeau, he created the sandblasted panels that make up a whole new entrance to St. Andrew’s Wesley Church in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia.In 1998, always striving to express his vision in his highly persoal, playful way, he started to paint on ceramics. His collection includes whimsical dishes, vases, bowls, and teapots.José continues to paint on canvas, work in glass, and paint on ceramics.