Born in Costa Rica in 1912, Francisco Zúñiga (José Jesús Francisco Zúñiga Chavarría, Francisco Zuniga) began his studies in art at a very young age in his father?s sculpture workshop. He began working with his father, carving religious sculptures for local churches. He went on to study sculpture and engraving at the School of Fine Arts in San Jose, Costa Rica. He left for Mexico City in 1936 where he worked with Manuel Rodríguez Lozano. Two years later, he joined the faculty of La Esmeralda ? Mexico?s renowned National School of Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking. The subject matter of Zúñiga?s work is almost exclusively devoted to the female human figures, specifically women of southeastern Mexico.