Emiliana Henriquez was born in El Salvador and moved to the United States as a child, growing up in East Los Angeles before relocating to the Westside. Her upbringing in diverse, contrasting communities exposed her to themes of race, cultural segregation, and identity—subjects that would later serve as core influences in her art. Raised in a family engaged in various spiritual practices, including Yoruba, Hinduism, and Sacred Geometry, Emiliana developed an early appreciation for different cultures and belief systems.

Encouraged by her father, a passionate art enthusiast, Emiliana began exploring the arts through drawing and painting from a young age. Despite lacking formal art training, she worked as a painting assistant to artist Aaron Gilbert, where she gained invaluable experience and mentorship. Over the years, Emiliana has honed her craft, developing a distinctive style that fuses colorful Atmosphere environments with storytelling and visual symbolism. Her approach is largely self-taught, drawing upon mentorship, intuition, and years of practice.

In recent years, Emiliana's work has gained increasing visibility in the art world. Notable exhibitions include Philosophia at Fortnight Institute (2023), Half Gallery in New York, and Armory Show Art Fair (2024). Her work has been featured in prominent media outlets such as Artsy and The Miami Herald, and she was awarded the LA Lakers In The Paint Award (2023). Emiliana has also participated in several prestigious residencies, including Fountainhead Residency (2024) and The Macedonia Institute (2023).

In January 2025, Emiliana presented her solo exhibition Warm Blue Velvet at the Half Gallery Annex in New York. This series explored the subtle commonalities found across cultures, drawing inspiration from her recent travels to Egypt and the shared devotional practices within the Abrahamic religions. Through symbolic representations of fabric and a triadic color palette, Emiliana examined the connections between faiths, blending Medieval art style influences with contemporary aesthetics. The exhibition invited reflection on the nature of identity and cultural kinship, emphasizing the shared human experience that transcends religious boundaries.