Lea Nikel was born in 1918, Jitomir, Ukraine, immigrated to Israel in 1920 and grew up in Tel Aviv. She studied with Gliksberg in 1935; 1946-47 with Avigdor Stematsky and Yehezkel Streichman. During the years 1950-61 she lived and worked in Paris; 1961-63 and 1964-65 in Ashdod, Israel; 1963-64 in New York; 1964 toured the Central African Republic; 1965-67 in Safed; 1967-70 in Rome; 1970-73 in Tel Aviv; 1973-77 in New York; 1977-80 returned to Tel Aviv. Her prizes include - 1968 The National Council of Culture and Art Prize, Ministry of Culture and Education, Jerusalem; 1972 Sandberg Prize for Israeli Art, Israel Museum, Jerusalem; 1982 Dizengoff Prize; 1987 Gamzu Prize; 1995 Israel Prize with Menachem Kadishman. She designed the set for Rena Sheinfeld Ballet Company. Exhibitions: 1964 -32nd Biennale, Venice; also Biennale in Santiago, London, Johannesburg, Venezuela and others; 1992 Expo in Sicily; 1995 Johannesburg Biennale. She now lives and works on Moshav Kidron.
