Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Carlos Cruz-Diez studied at the Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Aplicadas. He spent his early career working in graphic design and advertising before moving to Paris in 1960, where he became a central figure in the international Kinetic art movement.

His practice centered on the concept of color as an evolving phenomenon rather than a static element. Through his signature Physichromie series, he employed precise arrangements of color strips and light to create shifting visual effects that rely entirely on the physical position of the spectator.

Cruz-Diez maintained a prolific career spanning several decades, with his installations and public art projects appearing in major institutions and urban spaces globally. His theoretical contributions to the understanding of color perception remain a cornerstone of 20th-century optical art.