Born in Juchitán, Oaxaca, Mexico in 1940, he was first educated at the Escuela de Bellas Artes de Oaxaca and later at El Centro Superior de Artes Applicadas del Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes Mexico. He studied the graphic arts with Guillermo Silva Santamaria before moving to Paris in 1960 to continue cultivating his techniques. After returning in 1965, he became a strong activist for artistic patrimony, creating the Instituto de Artes Graficas de Oaxaca in 1988 and the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Oaxaca, as well as various libraries. He has had exhibitions in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, France, the United States, and many other countries.