) ▁in ▁Hav ana , ▁Cuba . ▁Ram os ' ▁career ▁as ▁an ▁artist ▁began ▁during ▁Cuba ' s ▁" Special ▁Period ." ▁ ▁This ▁period ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁dissol ution ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁( US R R ) ▁and ▁the ▁embargo ▁that ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁im posed ▁on ▁Cuba . ▁ ▁Cuba ' s ▁“ Special ▁Period ” ▁was ▁marked ▁by ▁a ▁decl ining ▁economy ▁that ▁neg atively ▁affected ▁the ▁quality ▁of ▁life ▁of ▁all ▁Cub ans . ▁During ▁this ▁period ▁of ▁time , ▁many ▁people ▁left ▁Cuba , ▁including ▁her ▁then - hus band ▁who ▁left ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁In ▁reference ▁to ▁this ▁experience , ▁Ram os ▁stated , ▁" It ▁was ▁a ▁very ▁hard ▁time ▁for ▁me … ▁I ▁had ▁to ▁decide ▁whether ▁I ▁was ▁going ▁to ▁follow ▁him ▁or ▁not ." ▁ ▁Ram os ▁decided ▁to ▁stay . ▁The ▁personal ▁experiences ▁that ▁derived ▁from ▁these ▁hard ships ▁are ▁what ▁prop elled ▁the ▁content ▁of ▁her ▁work , ▁which ▁communic ated ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁isol ation , ▁gr ief , ▁and ▁loss . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁the ▁artist ▁hint ed ▁at ▁the ▁way ▁in ▁which ▁her ▁experiences ▁of ▁living ▁in ▁Cuba ▁affected ▁her ▁art ▁by ▁saying , ▁" My ▁work ▁is ▁too ▁related ▁to ▁my ▁life ▁there ▁and ▁my ▁life ▁would ▁change ▁a ▁lot ▁if ▁I ▁left ." ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁Sand ra ▁Ram os ▁became ▁a ▁teacher