Roberto Marquez was born in Mexico City in 1959 where he lived until his family moved to Guadalajara in 1972. While living in Guadalajara from 1976 to 1983, he studied sculpture in the School of Fine Arts, poetry in the Elias Nandino Literary Workshop and architecture in the Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO). In 1983, after receiving his degree in architecture, he left the profession and dedicated himself to painting. In 1985, he moved to the United States, residing in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he remained for five years. Since 1990, he has lived and painted in New York City.