Jean Arp was born in Strasbourg, France, the 1§th of September 1886 and died in Basel the 7th of June 1966.
First a poet, Jean Arp participate in the foundation of the Dada movement in Zurich. He illustrated many publications from the "dadas" collection, including "Le Passager du Transatlantique", written by Benjamin Péret, "Vingt Cinq Poèmes" by Tristan Tzara and a book from Richard Huelsenbeck. Jean Arp began to sculpt in 1917.
Arp first studied Applied Arts in Strasbourg, Paris et Weimar, before dedicated himself to poetry. He exhibited in 1912 with Blaue Reiter.
His first plaster and marble works date back to 1930. Arp realised painted wood reliefs, embroideries and collage. In 1925, Jean Arp participated in Surrealists activities and frequented the abstract painters of "Cercle et Carré". Furthermore, he became one of the founding members of the group "Abstraction-Création", in 1926-1930.