Born in Washington, D.C. Attended the London Film School, London, England (Diplomat in Filmmaking)  and Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY (B.F.A.)
Founding Director, Museum of Neon Art. Lives in Los Angeles.

Author, Neon Lovers Glow in the Dark (1986) and LAKICH: For Light.For Love. For Life. (2007)

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2010   "LILI LAKICH: Habeas Corpus & Other Valentines," Lakich Studio, Los Angeles
 2005    "LILI LAKICH: Neon Art," Altered Space, Venice, CA

2002    "Heads," Malibu Gallery, Malibu, CA
2001    "Sirens and other Neon Seductions," California State University, Northridge, CA
              (cat. essay by Louise Lewis)
1997    "Lili Lakich: Reel Art," WeHo Lounge, West Hollywood, CA
1992    "Mourning Becomes Electric," Museum of Neon Art, Los Angeles
1991    Center for Cultural Arts, Gadsden, AL
             Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, FL (cat. essay by Mary-Taylor Carter)

             Newcomb Art Gallery, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
1990    MacNider Museum, Mason City, IA
             Masur Museum, Monroe, LA
1988    Inaugural exhibition, Touko Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (cat. essay by

             Sakae Hasegawa, Tokyo National Museum)
1985    "Neon Lovers Glow in the Dark," Museum of Neon Art, Los Angeles (cat.)
1978    Galerie au Fond de la Cour, Paris
1977    "Draw Me Nearer," L.A. Louver Gallery, Venice, CA
1976    Inaugural exhibition, L.A. Louver Gallery, Venice, CA
1974    "Scar," Womanspace, The Woman's Building, Los Angeles

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2019   "Critters" Arena Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

2014   "Queer Biennial I" Coagula Curatorial, Los Angeles

2011   "Downtown Legends," Art Share, Los Angeles

             "Femme Fatale" Community  College of Baltimore County, Catonsvile, MD (cat.)

2 007    "Then + Now: Women Artists of Southern California," Track 16 Gallery, Santa
               Monica, CA  (cat)

2007-    "In the Glow: The Science Behind the Art of Neon," The Science Center of
 2009      Western Virginia Roanoke, VA  (exhibition curator)   

2005    "Ten at Wille’s Tin," 2nd City Council, Long Beach, CA

2002    "Voltwerks: The Fine Art of Electricity," Fort Myers, Florida
2002    "Cars and Guitars," The Petersen Automobile Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2001     BGH Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2000    "Neon Art Exhibition 2000," Hsinchu Int’l Glass Art Festival, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
              "Plugged In," California State University, Bakersfield, CA (cat. essay by Kathryn
              Hackman)
1999    "Traveling Light," Seto, Japan
1997    "Body Electric," Museum of Neon Art, Los Angeles
1996    "Electric Muse," Museum of Neon Art, Los Angeles
1995    "Theater of Light and Motion," City of Brea Gallery, Brea, CA
1994    "Californeon," Santa Cruz Art Museum, Santa Cruz, CA  (cat.)
1993    "It's a Gas," Occidental College, Los Angeles
1992    "Images du Futur '92," Montreal, Canada (cat.)
             "Creative Energy," City of Brea Gallery, Brea, CA
1991    "6 + 35," FHP Hippodrome Gallery, Long Beach, CA
            "MONA Turns Ten: 10th Anniversary Exhibition," Museum of Neon Art, Los Angeles
            "Contemporary Neon," Edwin A. Ulrich Museum, Wichita State University, Wichita,

              KS (cat.)
1990    "Neon Nights," Nevada Historical Society, Reno, NV  (cat. essay by Peter L.

              Bandurraga)
             "Electric Avenue," Museum of Neon Art, Los Angeles
1989    " American Light Art," Arena Hall, Tamagawa Takashimaya, Tokyo, (cat.)
             "Luminaires," Hippodrome Gallery, Long Beach, CA
              "Light Years," Museum of Neon Art, Los Angeles
               Grove Gallery, University of California, San Diego
1988     Kerns Art Center, Eugene, OR
             "Captive Light," Museum of Neon Art, Los Angeles
1988    "Sculpted Light/Sculpted Motion," Museum of Neon Art, Los Angeles
             "HOLLYWOOD Portraits of the Stars," Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of
              Design,  Los A ngeles
1987     "A  Change of Art," Bank of Los Angeles, Hollywood, CA
1986    "Luminous Visions," Fashion Institute of Technology, New York
              "Six Neon Artists," Palos Verdes Art Center, Palos Verdes, CA
1984     "Neon Art from the West Coast," Seibu Museum, Tokyo
1983     "At Home," Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA  (cat. essay by Arlene
               Raven)
              "Ladies of the Night," Museum of Neon Art, Los Angeles (exhibition curator)
1982     "Extended Sensibilities," The New Museum, New York (cat. essay by Daniel
               Cameron)
1981-    "Feministische Kunst International," Haags Gemmentemuseum, Haag,
 79          Netherlands (cat. essay by Marlite Halbertsma; traveled)
 1980    "Great  American Lesbian Art Show," Woman's Building, Los Angeles
1978      Anhalt/Barnes Gallery, Los Angeles
             "A Shade of Light," Fine Art Museum of San Francisco
1977     Riverside Art Center and Museum, Riverside, CA
1976     "Paperworks," Soho 20, New York
1975     Gilbert Galleries, San Francisco
1974     "Word Works," Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut, CA
1973     Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
             "Neon Signs & Symbols," California State College, Fullerton, CA (cat. essay by 
              William Wilson)
              Orlando Gallery, Encino, CA
              Womanspace, The Woman's Building, Los Angeles
1971    La Jolla Museum of Art, La Jolla, CA
             707 Gallery, Los Angeles

Lili Lakich
The artist with her father's paint box, Tucson, Arizona. Click on photo to see larger version.
"LAKICH: For Light. For Love. For Life." by Lili Lakich
Neon Lovers Glow in the Dark by Lili Lakich

 

Lakich Studio

Next

Back

Lakich's 20-year retrospective at the Museum of Neon Art was accompanied by her award-winning book, Neon Lovers Glow in the Dark. When the show traveled to Tokyo in 1988, the book was enlarged and translated into Japanese.

LAKICH: For Light, For Love, For Life

with text by Lili Lakich, with contributions by Louise Lewis, Michael Several and Ray Zone (Los Angeles, Lili Lakich Studio, 2007, $45.00 hardcover) is not a catalog per se, nor

is it an autobiography, nor is it an artist book, but a mélange

of all of the above.  Self-published, this book contains the life and art of Lili Lakich, a force in Los Angeles who founded the Museum of Neon Art in Los Angeles, but is also well-known for her amazing neon works either commissioned or just expressions of the time, the place and the phase of an artist's life.  Her work is dynamic, glowing and phenomenal — and this book is a collaboration or even a dialogue of her work with others and herself. Each piece is commented upon by

a critic, but also commented upon by Lili herself.  Her life has been light-induced, her medium neon—and the book is a witness to an artist's life and creativity  combining to make that life.  Her work covers portraits, sacred icons, art icons ( Mona  is her famous symbol),  AIDS series, sirens, self-portraits

with bombs, public, corporate & residential commissions, and exhibitions.
    An illustrated chronology, bibliography and index complete this stunning volume which belongs in all contemporary collections. With 252 plates, 230 in color. 

                                               — Reviewed by Judith Hofberg

Hardcover, 8.75 x 13 in. , 160 pages.

Available from www.Lakich.com or Amazon.com