Carlos Revilla was born in Clermont-Ferrand, France. The son of a diplomat, he spent his childhood living in several countries of Europe, Latin America and the United States. Revilla studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam between 1956 and 1961. He became good friends with Savador Dali while living in Cadaqués, Spain, where he also came into contact with Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp. Revilla was invited to show in the Venice Biennale on three occasions.