Philippe Hosiasson (1898-1978)

Philippe Hosiasson was born and grew up in Odessa, Russian Empire (currently Ukraine) - a culturally rich and diverse region, which was home to a significant Jewish population.  He briefly attended the School of Fine Arts in Odessa, and studied law and art history at Odessa University prior to the outbreak of the first World War.

During this period, Hosiasson designed sets for Romanov's Ballets Russes in Berlin, eventually settling in Paris in 1914. In 1939, he was mobilized to join the French armed forces and was seriously wounded near Dunkirk. During the Nazi Occupation of France, he moved between Toulouse, Marseille, and Nice. Following a prolonged recovery from his war wounds, Hosiasson eventually returned to Paris in 1948.

Around 1947, he began producing his first "informal" paintings, which the venerable French art critic Michel Tapié associated with the burgeoning Abstract Expressionism movement that was emerging in New York. Supported by Clement Greenberg, Hosiasson exhibited his work with Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko, and Kenneth Noland at the Kootz Gallery in New York during the 1950s.

Hosiasson’s work was exhibited widely over the course of the 20th century, and can be found in many private and public collections around the world.