Silvia Mata-Marin studied at Universidad de Costa Rica. She first earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design and later studied Sculptural Design. As a student, she was involved in several social outreach projects, mainly the production of community murals in marginalized areas of Costa Rica.
With a strong interest in social documentary photography, Silvia embarked on long-term projects documenting migrant populations in the Central American region. These projects led her to explore the role that design plays in communicating and exposing social issues. Due to this interest, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to attend MICA’s MASD with the aim of tackling complex social projects using design as an enabling tool.