The theme of exile is ever present in the work of Tobiasse. Born in Israel in 1927, he and his family resettled in Paris and, throughout his adolescence, he perceived himself to be an exile. He was viewed as an outsider by his childhood peers, and as a teenager, he was forced into hiding from the Nazi’s during the German occupation of Paris. Post-war he was a successful commercial artist but since 1961 has devoted himself to painting. His work has become sensory reminders of his childhood – smoke billowing from a railway station, the warmth of a fireside, or a candelabra burning with the glow of hope. These symbols reappear in his paintings, engravings and sculptures, with images of oversized men and women, and often children nestled with family. The artist is regarded as an exceptional colorist and creates richly painted canvases with Biblical themes, imaginative dreams and mythological stories. Théo Tobiasse has had more than 200 major exhibitions worldwide. He divides his time between homes in St. Paul-de-Vence, France and New York.