Lavi Perchik is a figurative artist whose work explores intimacy, form, and the way emotion transforms observation. Rooted in long-term collaborations with his models – some of whom have become muses – his drawings often begin with a photograph but evolve into layered studies of light, gesture, and inner life.
Working primarily with oil-based pencils on toned paper, Perchik draws from a background in sculpture and a deep fascination with the human form. His process is slow and intuitive, shaped as much by personal experiences and narrative as by technique. Whether encountering a body for the first time or returning to a familiar figure, he seeks not only to depict what’s on the surface – but to reveal hidden layers of emotion, sensuality and meaning.
Born in 1980 in Tel Aviv, Israel, Perchik is a self-taught artist who began drawing realistic portraits in 1998. He later studied sculpture and drawing with Alexander Cherkov and Yuri Matzkin at the People’s University of Tel Aviv (2006), and took part in workshops and groups including Doron Livne’s class at Bezalel (2007), Meidad Eliyahu and Maya Israel’s drawing club (2012), Julia Kay’s Portrait Party (2017), and international Zoom-based sessions beginning in 2020.
He works from both life and photographs, using charcoal, pastel, colored pencils, and graphite.
Exhibitions
2009, 2010
Group Exhibitions – Vancouver, Canada
2014, 2016
Group Exhibitions – Emuna College, Jerusalem
2021
Group Exhibition – ZOA house, Tel Aviv