She was born in Soroca, Kingdom of Romania (now Moldova) in 1924 to Jewish parents Naum Ímber and Ana Barú.

[2] During the 1940s, Imber attended the Universidad de los Andes, studying medicine for three years, after which she returned to Caracas.

While stationed in Paris and Brussels, the couple made acquaintances with leftist intellectuals and Venezuelan expatriate artists grouped as "the dissidents", which included figures such as Alejandro Otero.

Imber headed the museum for almost thirty years until her dismissal by Hugo Chávez during one of his Aló Presidente programs.

Several pieces have since been reported as missing, including Odalisque with Red Pants by Henri Matisse, some of which were rumoured to be held by government officials in their private residences.

Imber received the Order of the Liberator General San Martín and the Picasso Medal by the Unesco, becoming the first Latin American to have been so honored.

[citation needed] Arlette Machado published Mil Sofía in 2012, an edited book interview.