Artist Database

Victor Vasarely was a French-Hungarian artist credited as the pivotal figure of the Op Art movement. Born Vásárely Gyözö in Pécs, Hungary, in 1906, he was initially enrolled in medical school in the mid-1920s before abandoning his course to pursue art at the Muhely Academy in Budapest, Hungary’s equivalent to German Bauhaus. In 1930, he moved to Paris, where he worked as a graphic artist, creating iconic pieces like Zebra (1937), often cited as an early example of Op Art. His work evolved through various styles, including Constructivism, Surrealism, and Abstract Expressionism, before settling into the geometric abstraction for which he is best known. By the 1960s, Vasarely had developed a distinct style characterized by optical illusions and vibrant colours.

Vasarely received several prestigious awards, such as the Guggenheim Prize in New York in 1964, the Grand Prix at the São Paulo Biennial in 1964, and the French Chevalier de l’ordre de la Légion d’honneur in 1970. His works are held in major collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Tate Gallery in London, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. In 1987, the Vasarely Museum opened in Budapest. The artist passed away in Paris at age 90.