Mario Ybarra Jr. (1973), a Mexican-American conceptual artist, was born and raised in Los Angeles. His artwork examines and investigates environments, histories, and narratives. He received an MFA from the University of California Irvine and a BFA from Otis College of Art and Design. He has been featured in many national and international exhibitions and has spoken at worldwide venues including the Creative Summit in New York and Art Pace San Antonio.