Engage.

David Labkovski's work doesn't just document history; it brings it to life.
​1906-1991

"The World That Was"

Called the Jerusalem of Lithuania, Vilna was a thriving city for Jewish culture prior to World War II.  David Labkovski grew up in that vibrant world. From stunning images of the Great Synagogue to expressive oils of his wife's home, he gives the viewer a remarkable glimpse into 'the world that was'.  Labkovski's work shows a thriving city, with people participating in their everyday activities. His work is both beautiful and disturbing.  Painted from memory, more than a decade after WWII, he uses angle and line to foreshadow the destruction of his community.  
​Labkovski followed his brothers to Moscow.  There, he worked as a set designer at the Moscow State Yiddish Theater. In 1935, he attended the prestigious Art Academy in Leningrad. But two years later, David was drafted into the Red Army. Shortly thereafter, he was arrested and sentenced to Siberia as ‘an enemy of the state.’           

In Exile: Siberian Deportation
Sentenced to the Gulag in Siberia for three years,  he survived the brutal conditions by sketching portraits and serving as a tattoo artist for inmates and prison guards. His compensation was additional food rations.
This collection is almost entirely self-portraiture. His eyes are hollow, revealing utter despair and dehumanization faced in the prison camp.  Food and the elements are central themes, revealing the hunger and brutal conditions he survived.

After completing his sentence, Labkovski and his wife returned to Vilna, optimistic that the hardships they had faced would be behind them.

The Depths of Darkness

Unaware of the fate of the Jews of Vilna, they returned to a destroyed city and to the loss of almost the entire Jewish community.   At that time, Lithuania was part of the Soviet Union.  Constantly living in fear of re-arrest, survivors of both the GULAG and Nazi persecution remained silent about their experiences. When survivors did share their experiences with Labkovski, he was not free to document their testimony. He remained under Soviet oppression until 1958.  
The art representing this period portrays Vilna eerily void of the community, buildings in ruin.  Labkovski's work also documents the survivors' testimony.  He explores the fate of Rivka's family and that of his own extended relations.  The colors and themes express despair and loss. Gray, cold skies, winter garb, Labkovski uses color and tone as a means of expression.  Large groupings of faceless people with few highlighted faces simultaneously represent  the magnitude of the devastation and the personal nature of the tragedy.

Hope. Renewal. Resilience.

 David and Rivka immigrated to Israel in 1958.  He showed his work a year later with critical success; however, Israeli society was not ready to see the images of the “world that was”.  Labkovski’s full body of work was created in Israel. There is a dramatic difference between his early work, depicting scenes from his past, to the landscapes, florals and portraits of his new surroundings. This emerging renewal can be seen in the expressions of his subjects and the vibrant palate.  Labkovski was a prolific artist, amassing an extensive portfolio.  He refused to sell any of his work; the subjects were too personal and the lingering betrayal was too painful.  A museum of his work opened in Ramat Gan, Israel in 1988.  It was his dream that the artwork would be shared with a broad audience to bear witness to the past and share his renewed hope in the future. Labkovski died in 1991.