Son of the baritone Víctor Damián, Damiani moved to Montevideo as an infant with his family. He returned to Europe to study at the Brera Academy in Milan in the 1950s, and received two Guggenheim scholarships to study in New York City. His first real exhibition was held in Montevideo in 1963. Since then his works have been included in numerous exhibitions, culminating with a retrospective in the Municipal Hall, 1991.