Parental support plays a crucial role in a child's development. In the case of a young artist, it may even make all the difference. From childhood, Juan Aquino showed a disposition for art and his parents did not hesitate for a second to encourage their son's obvious talent. Art has always been an important part of his life, even when he decided to earn a bachelor's degree in psychology from Inca Garcilaso de la Vega University in Peru. He worked as a psychologist in his country, without however succeeding in denying his vocation. So in 1987 he studied drawing at the National School of Fine Arts in Lima. In 1988, then aged 32, he left his native country to settle in Canada and become a citizen. Upon his arrival, he continued his artistic career by becoming a portrait painter in Old Montreal.