Burga studied painting at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru in Lima, from which she graduated in 1965. After the graduation, she joined the group Arte Nuevo (1966-8) with Arias Vera, Gloria Gómez-Sánchez and Jaime Dávila. It was a catalyst that made the redefinition of art practices accelerate in Peru in the late 1960s. As a Fulbright Fellow, she attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago between 1968 and 1970. She was awarded an MFA degree in 1970.
