Victor Vasarely was born in 1906 and died in 1997. He was a Hungarian artist who is know to be the key leader in the optical illusion art movement. His painting “zebra” painted in 1937 is said to be one of the first examples of op art. The image is of two zebras with intertwining legs which plays with the eye. Vasaely started of as a medical student in 1925 however in 1927 he abandoned that idea and started focusing on painting and sculpture and in 1928 he enrolled into a private art school in Budapest. After school Vasarely married a fellow student and became a graphic designer in Budapest creating advertising posters.

In 1930 Vasarely moved to Paris were him and his family settled. He was still working as graphic designer and worked in an advertising agency.  It was in the next decade that Vasarely developed his iconic style and the start of op art taking inspiration from constructivism. In the 40/50s vasarely started to explore brighter colours and different surfaces to create the effect of movement in his work.