Quiroa was born in Chicacao, Guatemala and moved to the capital in 1950 in the middle of his country’s revolutionary times. This experience fed his creative spirit which developed into a multi-faceted career as painter, engraver, sculptor, graphic designer, storyteller and writer. He was even elected to Guatemala’s Congress nine months before his death in 2004. His work was often figurative and his style was rich in color reflecting the popular textile designs of his country. He helped found the literary Rial Academy and was a member of Grupo Vertebra which was an art alliance that denounced the violence present in Guatemala.