Chaim Gross was born in Austria. He studied in Budapest and Vienna before settling in the United States in 1921. Gross sculpted in wood, using a direct carving technique. He is best known for his semi-abstract interpretations of the human form. For more than sixty years Chaim Gross's art has expressed optimistic, affirming themes. His acrobats, cyclists, and mothers and children convey joyfulness, exuberance, love, and intimacy. This aspect of his work remained consistent with his Hasidic heritage, which teaches that "only in his childlike happiness is man nearest to God."