Orest Keywan was born in 1944 in Marienbad, now in the Czech Republic, and grew up in Canada. In 1965, he arrived in Sydney, Australia and the following year, entered the National Art School in Sydney, where he studied under Lyndon Dadswell. From 1973 to 1976, he lived in Bergen, Norway, and Montreal, Canada. Upon his return to Australia, he worked as a lecturer at the Alexander Mackie College of Advanced Education (now the College of Fine Art, University of NSW), from 1976-1979. Currently, he lives and works in Sydney.