From 1972 to 1983, Poupee Boccaccio studied at both Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles and the University of California, San Diego. Her work incorporates references to her experience working as an actress, as seen in the imagery of Curtain II.

Los Gemelos Reliquary (Reliquary of the Twins) suggests Boccaccio's recurrent theme of duality which is influenced by her experience of growing up with a sister who suffers from schizophrenia. Critics have praised Boccaccio's reliquaries for the intricate, precise manipulation of materials and for their transcendent, spiritual quality.

"Duality is the underlying theme in my work. I am trying to point out the schizophrenia inherent in nature itself. There is good and evil, and of course, the ultimate duality is life and death.

Art is my form of transcendence. The spontaneous layering of symbol upon symbol in my work is a metaphor for each person's struggle towards his own personal truth. Art is a physical process which allows us to move towards a spiritual reality. Art for me is proof that the metaphysical does exist."
- Poupee Boccaccio