Juan Sisay is considered one of the most important “primitivista” painters in Guatemala. Born n 1921 in Panul,Atitlán, Juan Sisay spent his early years working with his family, therefore he coul d not attend to school. He did not receive any instruction in the art of painting, but started teaching himself developing a personal style. Juan Sisay painted in a time of great civil unrest and social protests, and throughout, he displayed the talent to represent, in a fresh and sincere way, the world which surrounded him. His unique artistic perspective came not from an outsider formally educated in painting, but rather from a self-taught member of the indigenous community. He was killed on the 21st of April, 1989 after painting the victims of a massacre of indigenous people in his hometown.

The school was founded after him, with the purpose of preserving the memory of a man that stood for the preservation of Mayan customs and culture in Guatemala.