Haim Gamzu was born in Chernihiv in the Russian Empire (now Ukraine).
Gamzu studied art and philosophy at the Sorbonne and University of Vienna.
Gamzu was appointed director of the Tel Aviv Museum in 1962.
He established Israel's first theater school, Beit Zvi, in Ramat Gan.
Gamzu wrote several books on Israeli painting and sculpture, and worked for Haaretz newspaper as an art and theater critic.