Surrealist artist. His full name is Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dali i Domenech. He was born in Figueres, a small town near the French border. In 1917 he started to visit the School of Art and in 1925 he attended the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid. That same year he held his exhibition in Barcelona. He became internationally known when three of his paintings were shown in the Carnegie International Exhibition in Pittsburgh in 1928. He was good friend with movie director Luis Bunuel and in 1929 they co-wrote a screenplay for a short movie "An Andalusian Dog." He joined the Paris Surrealist Group, led by former Dadaist, Andre Breton, after passing through phases of Cubism, Futurism and Metaphysical painting. In 1928 he meet Gala when she visited him in Cadaques with her husband, poet Paul Eluard. She became his lover, muse and chief inspiration. Dali and Gala escaped from Europe during World War II, spending from 1940 to 1948 in the United States. These were very important years for the artist. In 1941 Dali had first major retrospective in New York. In 1974 Dali opened the "Teatro Museo Dali" in Figueres. This was followed by retrospectives in Paris and London. After the death of his wife, Gala, in 1982, he spent the rest of his life in seclusion until his death. In 1942 he published his autobiography "The Secret Life of Salvador Dali."

Surrealist artist. His full name is Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dali i Domenech. He was born in Figueres, a small town near the French border. In 1917 he started to visit the School of Art and in 1925 he attended the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid. That same year he held his exhibition in Barcelona. He became internationally known when three of his paintings were shown in the Carnegie International Exhibition in Pittsburgh in 1928. He was good friend with movie director Luis Bunuel and in 1929 they co-wrote a screenplay for a short movie "An Andalusian Dog." He joined the Paris Surrealist Group, led by former Dadaist, Andre Breton, after passing through phases of Cubism, Futurism and Metaphysical painting. In 1928 he meet Gala when she visited him in Cadaques with her husband, poet Paul Eluard. She became his lover, muse and chief inspiration. Dali and Gala escaped from Europe during World War II, spending from 1940 to 1948 in the United States. These were very important years for the artist. In 1941 Dali had first major retrospective in New York. In 1974 Dali opened the "Teatro Museo Dali" in Figueres. This was followed by retrospectives in Paris and London. After the death of his wife, Gala, in 1982, he spent the rest of his life in seclusion until his death. In 1942 he published his autobiography "The Secret Life of Salvador Dali."

Bio by: Jelena