Moshe Castel was born in Jerusalem in 1909.  He arrived in Paris in 1927, where he attended the Academie Julien and studied at the Louvre Museum. In 1940 he settled in Safed, where he used the backdrop of the street scenes for his subject matter. He exhibited his paintings in the salons of Paris. On his return to Israel he became famous for his work using basalt found in the black rock, which is indigenous to several areas of Israel. Many of his paintings are characterized by his creation of what appears to be an ancient form of writing. These symbols are painted in relief utilizing the black rock material.  His portraits and street scenes often possess a Spanish influence, probably based on his Castilian Sephardic heritage. The strong reds, greens, and blacks are indicative of this phase of his paintings. He is also famous for his large murals, which can be found around the world. In 1947, he initiated and founded, the group "New Horizons" ("Offakim Hadashim"). He was awarded the prize "Premier do Estado" at the Sao Paulo Biennale, Brazil. in 1928-1940 he Participated in individual and group exhibitions in well known galleries and "salons" in Paris. His work is exhibited in all major museums of modern art internationally.