Oscar Oiwa was born in São Paulo 1965 Brazil, son of Japanese immigrants. He received his B.F.A. (1989) from the School of Architecture and Urbanism, São Paulo University. Oiwa was influenced by comic books, art, and magazines throughout his youth, as well as the urban environment of his birthplace. He experienced contemporary art during this time exploring the local art scene in São Paulo in nearby galleries and became an assistant at the São Paulo Art Biennial during his college years.