The Art of Zev Labinger
About Zev Labinger
Zev was born 1962 in the USA and later immigrated to Israel in 1986 where he now lives with his wife and two daughters. His interest in nature and specifically birds together with art has been an almost lifelong pursuit starting when he was 10 years old. He received his B.Sc. in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology at the University of California, Davis, in 1985 and his M.Sc. (cum laude) at the Department of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University, Israel in 1991.
During this time he also studied art at University of California, Davis, and Santa Barbara City College both in California, USA. In Israel he studied a variety of courses including painting and sculpting at Emek Yizreel and Oranim Colleges, and at the studios of Menahem Mizrahi (z"l) and Ellie Shamir.
Zev has worked as a wildlife biologist with the US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service and as an environmental consultant with a variety of government agencies, consulting firms and NGOs. In Israel he was the Conservation and Research Coordinator for the Israel Ornithological Center of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) for over 15 years. He is the Israeli representative for the international organization "Artists for Nature Foundation" and has exhibited in Israel and internationally. His works can be found in private collections, museums, books and field guides. Through his many years of extensive field work, Zev has become intimately involved with the subjects he paints and sculpts mainly birds, wildlife and landscapes. He is the initiator and coordinator of the Hula Valley International Nature Art Festival and the Dead Sea Artists for Nature project that brought nature artists from around the world to raise awareness of these world-renowned landscapes.
EXHIBITIONS
2018 Fresh Paint Art Fair, Tel Aviv, group exhibition “On the Seam”
2018 Bank Hapoalim, Tel Aviv, group exhibition “Art for fighting aids”
2018 The Nazareth Gallery of Art and Culture, Israel, group exhibition “Icons”
2016 Mercaz HaHantzakha, Kiryat Tivon, Israel, Nature in the Back Lot, Solo exhibition
2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 Leigh-Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wisconsin, USA, Juried group exhibit “Birds in Art”
2014 Wilcomitz House Gallery, Rosh Pina, Israel, The 60’s, group exhibition
2012-2014 Travelling group exhibition, Drawing Inspiration from the Hula Valley, curator and participant, Wilcomitz House Rosh Pina, Wildlife Art Gallery at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory, Haifa Science Museum, Madatech, Gallery of Art and Culture Nazareth, Ort Braude College Gallery.
2011-2012 Wilcomitz House Gallery, Rosh Pina, Israel, “Birds”, group show
2009 Oranim College, Tivon, Israel “The Writing is on the Wall”, solo exhibition
2008-2009 Agamon HaHula Park, Israel, group exhibition of Artists for Nature Foundation
2005 Mitzpe Hayamim Hotel, Rosh Pina, Israel “Birds”, solo exhibition,
2004 San Marcos Foothills Art Exhibition, Santa Barbara
2003 HaKimaron, Beit Shean, “Tzipor B’Yad- A Bird in the Hand”, solo exhibition
1999, 2000, and 2001 Mercaz HaHantzakha, Kiryat Tivon Group Show-.
1995 Santa Barbara City College Student Art Show - Juried show. Awarded Honorable Mention in the category of Painting.
1994 Santa Barbara Art Walk '94, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. - Painting accepted and sold at the Indoor Show.
PUBLICATIONS
Drawing Inspiration from the Hula Valley, Labinger, Z and E. Gorney, 2012. Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, 196 pp.
Illustration in:
According to Speech by Yehonadav Perlman, 2007 (Cover Painting)
Birds, Poetry Journal, 2013, Cyclamens and Swords Publishing
Breeding Bird Atlas of Napa County, California. 2003. Napa-Solano Audubon Society. pp. 199.
Breeding Bird Atlas of Santa Clara County, California, 2007. Audubon Society
Bridges, A Journal for Jewish Feminists and our Friends. Vol:10,1 2006 (Cover Painting)
Legends of Wandering and Return, Shira Twersky-Cassel. 2014, Sifrei Bitzaron Publishing
Lift and Drag, Edna Gorney, 2014, New World Publishing
Mashov HaRuakh, Poetry Journal, 2013
Pocket Guide, Israel Nature Series: Birds 2005, and Migrating Birds 2015