Victor Santos was born in the Philippines in 1934, and was educated at St. Michael's College where he was awarded an art scholarship. He then studied at the University of the Philippines, earning a degree in fine arts. After moving to San Francisco, he began his career as a commercial artist in the advertising industry where he first gained recognition for his work, winning many awards. In 1971, he moved to Vancouver and began to paint as a full-time artist. Santos is not one to take forceful positions on his work or other art related topics but is content to let his work speak for itself. "From as far back as I can remember", he says, "I have been fascinated by art, continually drawing familiar objects at home. this probably influenced my choice of the still-life as my field of work. Eventually, I decided to attend the University of the Philippines as a fine arts student. After graduating, I took a position as a commercial artist in Manila and this I believe has helped me achieve my current success. The commercial artist must have an excellent understanding of lighting, layout and color selection to be successful and these are some of the qualities that are so important to the still life painter." His work, arguably, has set a benchmark for aspiring still-life painters and provides the collector with what some critics feel are among the best still-life paintings in the world.