Lev Mezhberg was born in Odessa in 1933. In 1959 he graduated from the Odessa Art School, where he had studied under D. Frumin, N. Sheluto and L. Muchnik. In 1960 he began to exhibit his works at republican and nationwide shows, winning numerous diplomas. In 1962 he joined the Artists Union of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Mezhberg made it to the top six young artists of the Ukrainian Republic, whose traveling exhibition went to several European cities. Mezhberg emigrated to the USA in 1973, lived in Paris between 1991 and 1994 and then in Italy from 2000 to 2007. He contributed to over 40 exhibitions in Ukraine, the USA, France and Italy; collaborated with the Franklin Bowles Gallery (San Francisco), which published two catalogues of his works (2002 and 2005). Mezhberg was the first foreign artists to have his works exhibited at the United States Capitol rotunda under the patronage of the First Lady. His works evinced interest from leading galleries of the USA and Europe and distinguished collectors, such as Vladimir Horowitz, Isaac Stern, Leon Bernstain, Mstislav Rostropovich, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Mikhail Shemyakin, who considered Mezhberg one of the best colorists in contemporary painting. His works are in the Tretiakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the National Art Museum of Ukraine, the Odessa, Simferopol, Kharkov, Saratov and Vologda art museums, as well as in museums of the USA, France and Brazil and in private collections. Lev Mezhberg died in Carrara, Italy, in 2007.