Survivors Are Not Heroes

Sorel Etrog was a Romanian-born sculptor, painter, and writer who made important contributions to Canadian arts and culture. After immigrating to Israel in 1950, Etrog studied at the Tel Aviv Art Institute. His early work earned him a scholarship to study at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in 1958; a year later the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum purchased one of his sculptures. Settling in Toronto in 1963, Etrog went on to have a successful career in Canada and is renowned for his modernist public sculptures in Ontario. He represented Canada in the 1966 Venice Biennale and designed the country’s Genie award, which recognizes achievements in Canadian cinema. A multifaceted artist, Etrog also illustrated books and was himself a writer, collaborating with the prominent media theorist Marshall McLuhan in his publication Spiral.