Victor Vasarely, a French-Hungarian artist, is recognized as the pioneer of the Op Art movement. Born Győző Vásárhelyi on April 9, 1906, in Pécs, Hungary, Vasarely initially studied medicine before transitioning to academic painting, influenced by Bauhaus design and Constructivism. Settling in Paris in 1930, he worked in advertising agencies while creating seminal Op Art works like Zebra (1937). His hallmark checkerboard style emerged in the 1940s after experimenting with Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. Vasarely's influence extended to artists like Bridget Riley and Yaacov Agam. He passed away at 90 in Paris on March 15, 1997, leaving behind a legacy celebrated in esteemed collections worldwide. In 2019, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris honored his work with a temporary exhibition titled "Le Partage des Formes."
