His early childhood provided him with two of the greatest influences in his artistic career: his father who was a talented draftsman, and the vast farmland upon which he was raised, teeming with flora and fauna that ingrained themselves in his memory. He attended the School of Fine Arts in Chitre from 1983 to 1986, where he taught for a short time afterwards. From 1988 to 1989 he attended the School of Fine Arts at the University of Panama where he studied under Brooke Alfaro, Chong Neto, Durary, and Juan Manuel Cedeño. Throughout his career, his style and subject matter changed quite dramatically; landscapes in the late '80s, abstract works influenced by Chong Neto and Raúl Vásquez in the early '90s, paintings featuring curvaceous female figures with generous hips and thighs in 1993, and a return to figuration in 1994 and 1995 with works featuring fantastic beasts in vibrant colors. In 1996 Díaz integrated the animals and colors of his childhood landscape, creating somber works composed of layers of muted tones that reflect colors of the farmland earth of his youth.

In this 2001 interview, artist and writer Mercedes Lizcano spoke to the artist about his recent work as well as his thoughts on contemporary art.