Nelson Israel Pedraza Ramos was born in Callao, Peru and moved to Charlotte 8 years ago. Nelson Pedraza decided to move to the United States to meet his father for the first time and left his family and studies. Since he was a child, he always had a passion for art and taking care of the environment. Once he arrived in the United States, he started to pursue his artistic career as a sculptor as he saw he would be able to discover opportunities that are often hard to find in Peru. His artworks are made from different recycled metals he finds around his home. He started collecting metals because he didn’t want to throw them away as he felt he could find a good use for them. Nelson Pedraza has a daughter who he had to leave in his country and is his motivation for many of his art pieces. To him, art is a way to express talent and who you are as a person. He believes we should not be afraid to show the world what we are capable of doing.