“I belong to a generation that, in order to learn graphic design, you had to learn art.”
Paul Kor was a born artist and author, who became world-renowned for his award-winning paintings, books, illustrations and graphic design work.
He was born to a modest Jewish family in Paris, France in 1926. His passion for the arts was clear from the time he was a small boy. His mother would take him to the Louvre, where he would sit for hours and recreate the works of the greats. After losing his father to the Holocaust at a young age, Kor took refuge in Switzerland, where he was soon recognized for his astounding artistic abilities. His talents secured him a spot at the School of Fine Arts in Geneva, making him one of the few who was able to study during wartime. He eventually returned to Paris to continue his studies at the École des Beaux-Arts in 1947. The following year Kor immigrated to Israel and began developing a visual language that would later mark him the country's most foremost graphic artist.
During the 1960s, he painted and designed banknotes, postal stamps, and prize-winning posters for state institutions. His work became so widely recognized that he was sought after by dozens of successful, international companies, including El-Al Airlines, the Elite Chocolate Company, and the Coca-Cola Company.
As Kor approached the mid-1970s, he developed an interest in children’s book publishing that sparked his transition into writing and illustrating best-selling children's books. One of his most well known books, "Caspion the little fish," won a certificate of merit from the Israel Museum and has since been translated into Arabic, French, German, Korean, and half a dozen other languages.
By the time of his death, Kor’s sensational artwork had earned him countless awards in Israel, Italy, France. and other countries around the world.