José Juárez, Mexican painter, was born in the city of Acapulco, state of Guerrero, in 1939. He concluded a diploma at the National Paint and Sculpture School of the National Fine Arts Institute of Mexico, in 1966. In December of that year, he was awarded a scholarship in Paris, France, and at that time his clear purpose was to study at "l’École de Beaux Arts". However, because of his restlessness nature, he breaks with the old-fashioned Napoleonic manner of teaching arts; he quits that school and begins studying Sociology of Art at "l’École Pratic des Hautes Études" of Paris, under the direction of Professor Jean Cassou (poet and sociologist, founder of Paris’ Modern Art Museum). 

José Juárez lived in Paris 13 years, he traveled around Europe and the East. He learns and absorbs the ideas of ancient masters in museums, galleries and painting schools. He also pays attention to the new trends by contemporary artists; he participates in the manifestations of Parisian artists and intellectuals, a consequence of students’ agitation in May 1968. He strongly defends his own ideals: he investigates and studies new concepts, and dives deeply into several artistic tendencies, ranging from the figurative up to conceptual art. In that manner, he finds a style of his own –the transformation of the pictorial sign-, which he calls a "New figuration".

On the other hand, he also had the opportunity to show his works in the most important cities of the world, such as the following: Milan (Italy), Madrid (Spain), Tokyo (Japan), Frankfort, Bonn and Heilbronn (Germany), Luxembourg, Moscow and Minks (Byelorussia), Basil (Switzerland), and several cities in France, including Mexico and the United Sates as well.

While staying in Europe, he participated in biennial events and in the main pictorial galleries; he taught Mexican Mural Painting lessons at the Foreign Languages University in Kyoto, Japan. As of 1979, he enrolls to the Mexican cultural life; he paints and shows his works in galleries, museums, cultural institutions and universities. From 1985 to 1995 he was fully committed in the preparation of the trusteeship for the Dolores Olmedo Museum, where he has the Director and founder until 1996, when he resigns to that position to keep on painting full time.

Apart from his artistic activity, he has held lectures on diverse cultural topics and has written essays and articles in newspapers and magazines in Europe, Japan, United States and Mexico.

As a recognition to his artistic works, he has been awarded several diplomas and medals, such as the diplomas awarded to his participation in the Alarcon’s Event in 1988 y 1989, and the Fine Arts Meritorious Medal, which is granted by the Congress in the State of Guerrero, in 1990.