Valdivia was born in Ayacucho, Peru a town known as a place where revolutionaries are born. Even with limited access to resources, Valdivia strived to establish himself as an artist. He often held odd jobs to survive. At the age of 20, Valdivia decided to move to Lima. His exceptional drawing abilities got him accepted to Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes. After 6 painstaking years, Valdivia graduated with honors, and received a scholarship to further his education in Italy, where he lived for 3 years. Valdivia later returned to Peru, where he worked hard to re-establish himself as an artist. He found it difficult to find representation from a gallery due to his unique style. He began teaching art and shortly thereafter made the necessary contacts to help get established.