Born in Edinburgh to Italian parents, Eduardo Paolozzi was a Scottish artist known for his sculpture and graphic works and widely considered to be one of the pioneers of Pop Art. His collages, sculptures, and prints challenged artistic convention. Paolozzi studied at the Edinburgh College of Art in 1943, then at Saint Martin's School of Art in 1944, and then at the Slade School of Fine Art from 1944 to 1947, after which he worked in Paris until 1949. While in Paris, Paolozzi encountered artists including Alberto Giacometti, Jean Arp, Constantin Brâncuși, Georges Braque, and Fernand Léger. He was appointed a CBE in 1968 and elected a Royal Academician in 1979. His work is held in collections such as Tate; the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art; and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice.