Paul Paun

Paul Paun was a Romanian visual artist and poet, involved with the surrealism movement of the 1930s. Born Zaharia Herscovici, Paun adopted his pseudonym in high school. He was active in the avant-garde art scene from his midteens, cofounding the Bucharest Surrealist group in 1939; he exhibited with them in the 1940s. Alongside his creative activities, Paun was a practicing doctor. He was forced to work in labor camps for Russian prisoners of war. From 1948 to 1961, Paun struggled to leave Romania for Israel, finally moving to Haifa. In Israel, Paun continued practicing medicine and honing his skills as a draftsman.