Tibor Jankay was born 1899 in Bekescaba, Hungary. He was educated at The Ketzo-Muvesveti Academia in Budapest, Hungary, and did Post graduate work at The Julian Academia in Paris, France. He also attended The Art School in Zurich, Switzerland, The Dresden Academy in Germany, The Joseph Cassin Academy in Vienna, Austria. In 1939 he was conscripted into the Hungarian army and sent along with other Jewish soldiers to a Labor Battalion in Transylvania. These battalions were little more than prison camps, where prisoners were starved and frequently beaten. In 1944, the Nazis ordered the deportation of all Jews from Hungary, and Tibor was put on a train bound for a concentration death camp in Aushwitz. Fighting for his life, he used a rusty chisel to cut a hole in the wooden floor of the train. Eventually, after days of painstakingly chipping out a large enough opening, he escaped. Drawing portraits in exchange for food and shelter, he made his way on foot to his hometown of Bekescsaba, where he was reunited with his true love Irene. In 1948, they emigrated to America where Tibor eventually taught art at Redlands University and later at Pepperdine University, where he retired as the Chairman of the Art Department after 27 years. In California, Tibor spent much of his time along the world famous Venice Beach Boardwalk where he became a mentor to thousands of young artists, inspiring them with his stories of survival, and philosophy of forgiveness. He won the Spirit of Venice Award in 1992, a award given to outstanding Venice citizens. Tibor was the rare artist that refused to sell his works, and was even reluctant to exhibit them. "I am unhappy to sell my work." he said, "When you have children, or you have a child, and somebody's telling you, sell [them to] me, I'd like to have your child, you will have a shocked feeling. Because I have the feeling I do not paint this one to sell it, I painted it just to do it...to bring alive. When they are alive I am living with them, I have the feeling they are my children." Selected Exhibitions: Albertina Museum in Vienna, Budapest Museum of Fine Art, Ernest Museum in Budapest, Favorosi Kepter in Budapest, Munkaisy Museum in Bekescaba, New York Metropolitan Museum, Los Angeles County Museum, Cleveland Museum of Fine Art, Denver Art Museum, Santa Barbara Museum of Fine Art, San Francisco Museum of Fine Art.