Roberto Benavidez is a figurative sculptor specializing in the piñata form. Originally from Texas, Benavidez moved to California in 2000 where he took night classes in bronze casting at Pasadena City College. He later switched to paper, a more accessible material than bronze, ultimately deciding to focus on the piñata technique. He plays with underlying themes of race, ephemerality, beauty, and sin, layered with his identity as a mixed-race queer artist, with a focus on impeccable craftsmanship. His work was exhibited in the 2024 Homo Faber Biennial in Venice, Italy, and the 2025 Cheongju Craft Biennale in South Korea. He was featured in The New York Times Series “The Art of Craft,” and his work is in the permanent collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts, LA Metro, The Museum of International Folk Art, and the Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He has shown in group and solo exhibitions, including at the AD&A Museum at UCSB, Craft In America, Mingei International Museum, Palo Alto Art Center, Self Help Graphics, Mesa Contemporary Art Museum, and Riverside Art Museum. He most recently had a solo exhibition of his Bosch Beasts at Perrotin Los Angeles. He was also featured in the "Play" episode of the Craft in America series on PBS. Benavidez lives with his husband and their four cats in Los Angeles.