[1] Dias and his family moved from Campina Grande to Rio Janeiro in 1957.
Here he began working as a graphic designer, experimenting with art in his free time.
During the 1960s, Dias became a frequent visitor of the artist Oswaldo Goeldi's studio at the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes.
When he was denied an extension of his French papers in May 1968, he moved to Milan, Italy.
Several visual artists were hired as his assistants, including Marcos Chaves (1961-).