Born in Hungary, Vasarely's art and design represent what is called "optical art." First studying in Budapest, he later worked in Paris as an industrial designer in the 1930s. Following his first solo exhibition in 1944, Vasarely shifted to painting. After becoming fascinated with trompe-l'oeil and conducting research in the field, Vasarely invented his unique style of optical art in which he systematically combines flat, geometric shapes to create the illusion that the painting is moving or changing. Extremely active in the latter half of the 50s, Vasarely became internationally known after winning an award at the 1965 Sao Paulo Biennale.