Ivan Acuña was born in Manila in 1968. He studied Fine Arts at the University of The Philippines, and attended art workshops in Brisbane, Australia. His greatest influence is Philippine National Artist Jose Joya. Although he has been painting since the 80s, he initially started as a professional photographer before becoming one of the Philippine’s most prolific contemporary artists.

He has a non-traditional approach when it comes to showcasing his work, and prefers to collaborate with designers, who incorporate his pieces into their designs.