Cuban-born Bedia immigrated to Mexico in 1991 and to the United States in 1993. His works are often personal expressions of his experiences with and passion for Amerindian culture, history, and the Afro-Cuban religions of Santeria and Palo Monte, of which he is an initiate. Viejo Estrella ("Old Star") is the tribal name of the Sioux warrior whose image appears near the center of the canvas.