He studied Painting and History and Theory of  Modern Art at Chelsea College of Art, graduating in 1993, having spent time at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin on an Erasmus exchange.  Following his studies Juan worked as an independent artist and writer,  gallery hand, and bookseller until 2000 when he took his first permanent teaching role at Goldsmiths.

Juan’s own work has had broad dissemination, being exhibited at Matt’s Gallery, London; Camden Arts Centre, London; Witte de With, Rotterdam; Serralves Foundation, Porto; Galeria Elba Benitez,  Madrid; the Edinburgh International Festival; the Melbourne Festival and  MUSAC, Spain. In 1999 Juan was awarded a Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Artists and in 2000 named Artist Fellow at Kettle’s Yard, University of Cambridge. Between 1995 and 1998 he was a regular contributor to the  London-based magazine Art Monthly and has continued to write on the work of other artists throughout his career.

Juan is a director of the IAAC (International  Awards for Art Criticism) , and a trustee of the John Moores Liverpool  Exhibition Trust, which governs the John Moores Painting Prizes in  Liverpool and Shanghai, both projects established to develop greater cultural understanding and exchange. He has been a trustee of the  Liverpool Biennale, a member of the Tate Liverpool Council, and a member of the  Nine Elms Development Board. Juan is a member of AICA and a fellow of the Royal College of Art.