"I start a group or "litter" of paintings, 10 or so within the same month. For the next year and a half I raise this litter as best I can. Trying to always remember their individuality that makes them unique, while celebrating the familial ties that bind them. I try to mitigate their weaknesses and bring out their strengths. I don’t shelter them from risk, rather I sponsor and encourage any direction they wish to grow in.

I cannot make a river or a tree, but I can be creator in this galaxy. These snapshots of the different landscapes within this galaxy provide my life with a certain amount of shade against the harsh light of our earth bound reality. These paintings are not pictures of anything, they are the thing itself."

- Ilan Laks

Laks was born in Boston, Massachusetts though he moved often with his family throughout his childhood. He began painting as a young adolescent and, forsaking convention, immediately committed himself entirely to his passion. After high school he chose San Francisco as his home where he earned a BFA Degree from San Francisco Art Institute while regularly exhibiting his work. Also a musician, Laks collaborated with San Francisco musicians providing album covers and videos for George Clinton of P-Funk, John Lee Hooker Jr., Linda Perry of Four Non-Blonds, Eric McFadden, The Broun Felinis, Deadweight and others.

Laks spent a year painting in Barcelona, Spain and outside of Santa Fe in the ghost-town of Cerillos, New Mexico both of which had a strong effect on him. “The two cities served as bookends (not only in my study of light and color) but as social and physical polar opposites, the ghost-town versus the big city. I needed to live out both extremes and so I did,” he says. Later, he lived in Los Angeles for a year becoming a member of Downtown Artist Development Association (DADA) and exhibited in Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Downtown Los Angeles.

Upon his return to San Francisco, Laks became involved in bringing artists of various genres together producing great events during which he created alliances and opportunities for many San Francisco artists. Working within the local artist community, he cultivated deep relationships with such great West Coast artists as Bruce Mcgaw, Jeremy Morgan and Dewey Crumpler.

Ilan Laks continues to paint a body of work each year, generally showing at one solo and one group exhibition as he has for the past fifteen years.

Exhibitions

*2007 AudioCinema Visual Collective, Portland OR
*2007 Rake Gallery, Portland OR
*2005 Affair at the Jupiter, Portland Oregon Group
* 2005 (Dec)      Newmark Gallery     San Francisco, Ca.      “Siblings”          Solo
*2005 (Nov)     Galerie Sous Terre   The Netherlands Group 
*2005 (July)     Moving through     Portland, Oregon “Umufua” Solo
* 2004 (Dec.)    Newmark Gallery   San Francisco, Ca.   “Convergence”          Solo
* 2004 (July)   Newmark Gallery   San Francisco, Ca.   “Events Culminating” Solo
* 2003 The Lab San Francisco, CA. "Out of the Woodwork" Group
* 2003 Galia San Francisco, CA. "Weaving" Group
* 2002 Greystone Mansion Beverly Hills, CA. Group
* 2000 345 California San Francisco, CA. Solo
* 2000 Waziema San Francisco, CA. "Beyond the Back Room" Solo
* 1999 Place Pigalle San Francisco, CA. "Lovin' and Losin'" Solo
* 1999 Lawrence Gallery Beverly Hills, CA. "Gift Giving" Solo
* 1998 Sponto Gallery Venice Beach, CA. Solo
* 1997 Downtown Artist Los Angeles, CA. "Downtown Lives" Group
* Development Assoc.
* 1995 Amir Gallery Beverly Hills, CA. "ABP Productions" Solo
* 1995 Museum Store Santa Monica, CA. Group
* 1994 Jordana Gallery Barcelona, Spain Group
* 1994 Gregger Gallery Santa Fe, N.M. Group

Murals

* 1999 Los Angeles, CA. "At Play" Private Residence
* 1998 Caesarea, Israel "Offering" Private Residence
* 1998 Venice Beach, CA. "Tides" "5 Dudley" - Restaurant
* 1997 San Francisco, CA. "Scarecrow" Private Residence
* 1997 Jerusalem, Israel "Stairway" Private Residence
* 1994 San Francisco, CA. "Unraveled" Private Residence
* 1993 Los Gatos, CA. "Vamping" Nimbus Hair Salon

Album Covers

* 2000 Bluebeard "Port of Sorts" Axtell Audio
* 1999 Faraway Brothers "Start the Engine..." NMX Records
* 1998 Holy Smokes "Holy Smokes" NMX Records
* 1997 Faraway Brothers "Long Ago and Far Away" NMX Records
* 1996 Five Feet to the Window "Earth Angel" Cadre Entertainment