Antonio Dias started his artistic journey in the 1960s, creating works that were deeply critical of politics through various mediums, including paintings, assemblages, installations, and videos. Although he rejected being linked to any specific artistic movement of his era, his work is frequently regarded as a significant reference in Brazilian Pop Art and Neo-Figurativism. His approach is shaped by the influence of the Neo-concrete movement and an early understanding of the revolutionary spirit of Tropicalia. In 1966, following subtle criticism from Brazil's military dictatorship, Dias went into self-exile in Paris, where he met key figures of the Italian avant-garde movement Arte Povera, such as Luciano Fabro and Giulio Paolini. Immersed in the European art scene, he gradually shifted toward abstraction, marking a transformation in his style.