Theo tobiasse artist biography

Theo Tobiasse's global popularity rests on a distinctive bittersweet quality all his own.  Born in Palestine (now Jaffa, Israel) in 1927, but raised in German occupied Paris, Tobiasse spent two crucial years of his youth hiding in total isolation from the Nazis.  After World War II he worked as a commercial artist until 1961, when he turned to painting full time.

As Chaim Potok, in his Theo Tobiasse: Artist in Exile (published in 1986 by Rizzoli), observes, "One cannot escape the feeling that he uses colors and words to conquer the evils he has experienced in the flesh, hence, the lively primitivism...and the stately themes of the tribe."

In 1989 the dedication of the Tobiasse designed Chapelle Saint-Saveur in Le Cannet marked a milestone in the rising career of this illustrious artist.

Tobiasse has become increasingly recognized and popular in New York, Paris, Caracas, Tel Aviv and Tokyo.  His paintings transcend history, blending images into one moment-warping time into the present tense; his past, his dreams, mythology, Judaic legends and, biblical stories all inter-twine to become understandable in today’s terms.

Saper Galleries has carried the limited editions of Theo Tobiasse since Roy Saper first met the artist in 1979.

Theo Tobiasse (1927–2012): A Master of Symbolic Expression

Theo Tobiasse, a celebrated master of the Paris School, was born in Jaffa, Israel, in 1927 to Lithuanian parents. His father, a Zionist and a printer, moved the family to Paris in 1931 in search of work. From the moment Tobiasse first set eyes on the City of Light, it left an indelible impression on him. However, his early years in Paris were overshadowed by the horrors of World War II.

During the Nazi occupation, the Tobiasse family spent two years in hiding in a cramped Parisian apartment. From July 1942 through August 1944, they never ventured outside, nor could they turn on lights or even burn candles. The only sense of time passing came from the ominous sounds of Nazi boots on the staircase outside. It was in this dimly lit room that young Theo found solace in drawing, reading, and playing chess with his father—a motif that later surfaced repeatedly in his artwork as chessboard patterns.

When Paris was liberated on August 25, 1944, Tobiasse emerged from hiding with a portfolio filled with drawings, stepping into a world forever shaped by exile and resilience.

The Rise of an Artistic Visionary

After the war, Tobiasse spent 15 years working as a highly successful advertising artis

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