Biography

Layil Umbralux never knows quite how to answer when she's asked where she's from. Born in Paris, to Argentine parents of Italian decent and raised on both coasts of the US, she has grown accustomed to seeing things from multiple points of view. Her artistic tendencies stem from a young age, and people have long been a focal point of her fascination. Early exposures to fantasy, science fiction and mythology have shaped her understanding of the world, and those languages are evident in her images.

She was raised in the country side of Northern California, beginning her University education at the Academy of Art in San Francisco at 15 after electing to skip high school to pursue an art vocation directly. She transferred to the School of Visual Arts in New York City 2 years later to finish her Illustration BFA there, with a special interest in Comics and an internship at Marvel Entertainment.

Layil moved to Barcelona in 2002 where she spent 3 years, further developing her art studies independently and enjoying the ambiance and artistic history of the city. She enjoyed the opportunity to travel around Europe in that time, and collaborated on Art Education Workshops with the Conceptart.org collective, which resulted in a 2005 move back stateside to her roots in San Francisco.

After spending a year working as an office assistant with Massive Black Inc. and Conceptart.org, Layil resigned her position to continue her studies at the Conceptart.org/ Next Gen Atelier school which had just opened. 2 intense years later, she finished the program. She is currently a resident artist at the school’s Safehouse Atelier facility in San Francisco, where she is following a fine art, illustration and concept art path to wherever it leads her next.