Born in the Philippines, Isabelle is forever grateful for her heritage. As a baby she and her family moved to New Orleans, where she first learned to walk and talk. After her parents completed their further education, De Joya Vea and her family moved back to Philippines. Having lived most of her childhood in the busy Metro Manila area, her parents instilled in her a love for God and country and a deep appreciation for education, art and travel.As a child she had the opportunity to travel to several countries and was deeply inspired by the art in museums all over the world. In 2005, De Joya Vea moved to New Orleans a month before Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city. She witnessed and experienced first-hand all trials that the hurricane survivors had to go through. Hurricane Katrina rendered them without a home for several weeks she and her family finally settled in Shreveport, Louisiana in 2006.

De Joya Vea has been making art for as long as she can remember. She has never taken a formal art class, but she prides herself in learning through her mother. Her early childhood work started with making beaded jewelry and she was inspired by the jewelry her mother makes. Since then, De Joya Vea has evolved her work to include wire-wrapping jewelry as well. During her high school years, she was introduced to ceramics and fell in love with making hand-built pots and sculptures. Today, her ceramic work is influenced vastly by the diverse and colorful Philippine coral reefs. During her senior year, Isabelle was inspired to start painting again and began her “Bloom Where You’re Planted” series to celebrate the many years that she and her family have been blessed with living in the United States. In late 2018, Isabelle started to work as a sushi chef. While acquiring the fine skills to make sushi she was inspired to translate these skills into making sushi earrings. This launch her venture into making food earrings out of polymer clay. Today, Isabelle works with all sorts of media and continuously works on her paintings jewelry, and ceramic work.

Isabelle is proud to have had her work displayed in several exhibitions in Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport. In 2020, she is proud to have her art displayed at the Femme Fest in New Orleans, BLOOM! Festival in Shreveport, as well as one of the four featured artists in the International Women’s Night Exhibit in Shreveport. In her current work, she strives to showcase the beauty and culture of Philippines through her paintings and ceramic work. De Joya Vea actively promotes the Asian culture in Northwest Louisiana by serving as the Founding Member and current Vice President of ASEANA Foundation, which presents the Annual Spring Festival and Annual Autumn Asian Street Food Festival in Shreveport, Louisiana. She believes that giving back to the community is a key element to a fulfilled life. In doing so, she has also pledged a percentage of her art’s earnings to helping Smile Train, an organization that helps families globally provide cleft palate surgeries to their children.

When she’s not making art, De Joya Vea enjoys cooking, volunteering and traveling. She has participated in teaching art to both children and the elderly. She finds joy in helping people express themselves through art. Her use of vivid color serves as a reminder that life is always beautiful when we share it with others.