Victor Vasarely was a Hungarian artist, one of the most important representatives of Op Art and known as the father of this movement. With works in which he innovated with his colors and optical illusions, he has been a strong influence for many other modern artists.

Vasarely began studying medicine in Budapest in 1925, however, then he wanted to change and began studying at the Poldini-Volkman Academy of Painting in 1927. This Academy teached a more academic and traditional type of painting so he enrolled at the Muhely Academy of the Bauhaus in 1929. Bauhaus artists based their paintings on basic geometric forms so the works he made during 1930 and 1944 tended to be graphic and figurative.

After his first solo exhibition in 1930 in Budapest, he decided to move to Paris, where for the next 13 years he devoted himself to graphic studies. In his works he shows his fascination for linear patterns, drawing figurative and abstract subjects such as series of tigers, harlequins and his famous zebras. At this time Vasarely created multi-dimensional artworks with overlapping layers of patterned cellophane layers that gave the illusion of depth.

Vasarely also experimented with other artistic movements such as cubism, futurism and surrealism in 1944, however, what he really liked was optical art. His works are distinguished by their distorted surfaces, hypnotic colors and repetition of geometric shapes.

Today his paintings, collages, prints and sculptures are exhibited in numerous exhibitions and museums around the world.

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“Every form is a base for colour, every colour is the attribute of a form" -Victor Vasarely.

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SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

Victor Vasarely, the renowned Op Art pioneer, held many notable exhibitions throughout his career. His first significant show was at the Denise René Gallery in Paris in 1944, co-founded with art dealer Denise René. This marked the beginning of his rise to prominence. In 1955, Vasarely's work was featured in the groundbreaking "Le Mouvement" exhibition at the same gallery, which played a major role in popularizing kinetic art.

In the 1960s, he gained international recognition through exhibitions like The Responsive Eye at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York in 1965, which was instrumental in bringing Op Art into the mainstream. Vasarely continued to exhibit worldwide, with significant shows such as "Vasarely: The Birth of Op Art" at Centre Pompidou in Paris (2019) and "Op Art: A New Vision" at Tate Modern in London (2016). He also established the Vasarely Foundation, where his work is permanently exhibited in Gordes and Aix-en-Provence, France​(