In 1915, he went to the Evangelical School in the town of Schiers. He left school in 1919. He continued to develop his art skills in Geneva where he enrolled at the École des Arts Industriels. He travelled to Venice, Padua, Florence and Rome. Here, he was influenced by the collections of Egyptian art he studied. African and Oceanic art also inspired him. He also focused on the surrealism of art. Example of this are "Suspended Ball" and "The Palace at 4 a.m".