Victor Vasarely was born in Pecs, Hungary, in 1906. Although he began studying medicine, he left the career to learn academic painting at the private school Podolini-Volkmann Academi. He also studied art at the Bauhaus Muhely in Budapest before emigrating to Paris in 1930.
During his early years living in the French capital he worked as a designer, mainly creating advertising posters. In the three decades after his emigration, Vasarely developed a particular style of abstract art by providing the geometry with movement and so, created a new trend called Op-art (optical art). The artist plays with geometric patterns and bright colors, making the eye of the viewer able to perceive movement.
His work "Zebra" created in the decade of the 30s is considered one of the earliest examples of Op-art.
During the 60s and 70s his optical images were part of popular culture, having a great impact on architecture, electronics and fashion. The official logo of the 20th anniversary of the Munich Olympics was designed by Vasarely.
He died in Paris on March 15, 1997.