Victor Ostrovsky’s art is full of intrigue. The activities of his figures and the titles of the works reflect the enterprise and language of the international intelligence community, bringing several layers of meaning to his paintings while creating stories for the viewer. His colors are bold and the symbolism in his images subtle. Hats, gloves, scarves and umbrellas hide the identities of his inscrutable figures, provoking and teasing our imaginations with visual portrayals of adventure.

Born in 1949 in Canada, Victor moved to Israel with his family at age five. His inclination for the arts was apparent from a very early age. The well known Israeli painter, Gilady, lived on the same street as Victor and would often set up his easel outdoors to paint. Victor watched spellbound as Gilady created wonderful images on the blank canvas.

Eventually the artist presented Victor with his own box of oil paints and took the time to guide him into a world expressed through images and color, handing the child a gift that would soon become a passion.

Victor entered the military at the age of eighteen and became the youngest officer in the Israeli Defense Force at the time. He rose to the rank of lieutenant commander and served as head of the weapon testing program in the Israeli Navy when he was recruited by Israel’s elite intelligence agency, the Mossad.

After two and a half years of Mossad training, Victor became a katsa (case officer). Serving in the field, he became disillusioned with the activities of elements within the agency, activities that had more to do with self-preservation than the good of the country. Victor left the service. After five years of trying to inform the powers that be with little success he wrote an expose, “By Way of Deception” that shook the Mossad foundations and became a #1 New York Times bestseller and is said to have brought about changes in the Mossad.

Victor has written three more books since, a non-fiction “The Other Side of Deception” and two fictional spy novels “Lion of Judah” and the newly released “Black Ghosts”.

Today, Victor’s insight and knowledge of the intelligence community facilitates his writing and serves as a basis for his enigmatic and cryptic paintings. His canvasses offer tantalizing images, evoking a mystical and other-worldly reaction from viewers.

	Explore Victor Ostrovsky Collection
	Print Victor Ostrovsky Biography
	Download Victor Ostrovsky PDF Biography