After studying architecture at the Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile, Carlos Altamirano moved to Santiago to study art at the Pontifcia Universidad Católica de Chile. His artistic practice incorporates mixed techniques across painting, engraving, video and photography. Following the military coup of 1973, Altamirano became associated with the Escena de Avanzada resistance movement, which opposed the Pinochet dictatorship. He received the prestigious Altazor Award in 2001 and his work is held in various institutions, including Santiago’s Museo de Arte Contemporáneo and Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, where in 2007, a major retrospective was presented.