What makes Sylvia Laks’ approach to stained glass unique?

Sylvia Laks is a master of the centuries-old grisaille technique, a method that involves applying black enamel made of ground glass and lead to create intricate details, which are then fired in a kiln. Unlike commercial stained glass, Laks treats glass as a canvas for "painting with light," using metal oxides to achieve a painterly depth and psychological expression usually reserved for fine art oils.

What are the recurring themes in her glass and oil works

Laks explores a "mystical and mythical" world, often focusing on identity, memory, and spirituality. Her portraiture frequently features feminine figures, witches, and elves, blending beauty with powerful natural forces. Whether working in glass or oil on linen, she seeks to capture the "soul" of her characters, inviting viewers into enigmatic narratives that balance the soothing with the unsettling.

How has Sylvia Laks contributed to Costa Rica’s cultural heritage?

Laks is a key figure in the preservation of Costa Rica’s historical architecture. She has led the restoration of countless heritage sites, including the Inmaculada Concepción Parish in Heredia and the Limón Cathedral. Her studio, located in the hills of Heredia, not only produces monumental ecclesiastical works but also serves as an educational hub where she trains local artisans in the high-precision craft of stained glass.

Is Sylvia Laks recognized as an international leader in her field?

Yes, she is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost stained glass experts. Notably, she is the only non-American member of the prestigious Stained Glass Association of America (SGAA), an accolade that reflects her global influence. Her work is held in significant international collections, including the Smith Museum of Stained Glass and American Art in Chicago and the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth.

Sylvia Laks

Costa Rica, b.1959

Lives and works in Heredia, Costa Rica

Available Sold CV

Commission

The realist portraiture of Sylvia Laks is drawn from diverse themes and influences, including the human body, identity, memory, landscape, and spirituality. Working with a variety of materials, from charcoal and pastel drawings to oil paintings on linen, Laks invites us to explore a myriad of mythical and mystical worlds from the realms of her imagination.

Bringing witches and elves to life, Laks centres her gaze on the female form, often interlacing themes of pregnancy and feminine spirituality. She focuses on the psychological expression of her characters, capturing their emotions and inviting you to glimpse into their souls, and unravel their curious narratives. Her paintings are enigmatic, where feminine beauty unites with powerful natural forces, creating a delicate balance that is both soothing and unsettling.

Beyond her painting and drawings, Laks is a stained glass master, running her own studio where she creates and restores stained glass pieces and teaches the process of making stained glass windows. Since the age of twenty-five, Laks has worked to perfect how light passing through glass can create striking atmospheres; she uses the grisaille technique to control pigments, temperature and glass textures. As with her paintings, Laks similarly depicts other worlds in her glass that breathes life into manmade structures.

Her work is integral to the restoration of some of Costa Rica’s most important churches as she is the first and only non-American to be welcomed into the Stained Glass Association of America. Laks has exhibited her paintings widely within Costa Rica, including at the North American Cultural Center Group in San Pedro and the Talentum Gallery in San José.

Why We Love This Artist
Visiting Sylvia’s stained glass studio left us genuinely astounded — the skill, the history, the light passing through glass she has spent decades learning to master. As the first and only non-American welcomed into the Stained Glass Association of America, her reputation is well founded. But it is her painting that first drew us in: visionary, deeply spiritual work that conjures figures and worlds with a warmth and heart that few artists possess.