Born in Poland to a Holocaust survivors. immigrated to Israel by himself in the late 60's and Studied art at the Bezalel Academy. He received a scholarship and did his Masters in the National Superior School of Decorative Arts in Paris.

Bilan is a story teller as well as a painter; His art works are filled with rich fabric of poetic images and figures, a world that composed of his childhood memories- the neighborhood circus and the life among the nomads and the gypsies.

"'Grotesque' is a suitable term for describing Bilan's works, Not 'grotesque' in the current fashionable meaning, but grotesque in its opposite meaning – an existential anxiety demonstrated by comic and bizarre gestures. Images of horror and fear are known in art history – Munch's The Scream, Picasso's Guernica, and Francis Bacon's portrait of the Pope ..looking at the entire series of works enhances the sense of the grotesque parody emerging from each one of them... covering it by a layer of irony and humor that makes it just as tragic as a tragedy declared overtly." - Yoantan Amir


selected one person exhibitions:
1975   F.I.A.C Art Fair, Paris
1976   Shatz Gallery, Jerusalem
1976   Du Haut-Pavé Gallery, Paris
1977   Shamir Gallery, Tel Aviv.
1977   Libriarie Nicaise Gallery, Paris
1979   Aranella Gallery, Paris
1980   Cour d'Ingres Gallery, Paris
1981   Gordon Gallery, Tel Aviv.
1982   Aktuaryus Gallery, Strasbourg, France
1982   Cimaise Gallery, Lausanne, Switzerland
1990   Galeria 86, Lodz, Poland
1992   Artists' House, Jerusalem
1993   Figures, Engel Gallery, Tel Aviv
1995   Galeria 86, Lodz, Poland
1995   Mediart Art Contemporain, Paris
1995   Mag Gallery, Paris
1996   Adine fine art Gallery, New- York
1997   Boundary Gallery, London
1997   Agi Katz Gallery, London
1998   Art Expo, New- York
2000   Art Expo, Miami
2000   The Tale and the Color Spot, Bar-Am Museum, Kibbutz Bar- Am
2005   Galeria 86, Lodz, Poland
2005   Galerie Art Montparnasse, Paris
2006   Grand Tour, Galleria J, Lodz, Poland
2007   The Closed Circle, the 17th Jewish Culture Festival, Krakow, Poland.
2007   Culture Institute, Krakow, Poland
2007   Poverty Trap, 2 worlds Gallery, Lodz, Poland
2009   New Works, Galerie Art Montparnasse, Paris
2009   Black\White, Engel Gallery, Tel Aviv
2011   Eternel Retour, Galerie Art Montparnasse,Paris

Selected group exhibitions:
1977   Aranella Gallery, Paris
1978   City Hall, Cherbourg, France
1980   Modern Art Museum, Paris
1981   Taipei Art Guild, Taiwan
1982   Contemporary Engraving, Hotel de la Monnaie, Paris
1984   20 Contemporary Engravers, Seyne sur Mer, France
1984   Arcus gallery, Paris
1987   Arsenal Museum, Granvelines, France
1989   Xylon Museum, Schwetzingen, Germany
1991   SAGA gallery, Paris
1991   Arts Print Lover, Grand Palais, Paris
1992   20 contemporary engraving around Rembrandt, Château de Bourdeilles, 
            Dordogne, France
1996   The Jewish Nexus, The Meizel Museum, Denver,  U.S.A
2000   A view to the next Millennium, Engel Gallery, Tel- Aviv
2000   Art Expo, New-York
2004   Four Israelies in Paris, Engel Gallery, Tel aviv
2004   From Poland To Paris, Rachi Center, Paris
2006   Duo exhibition- Richard Bilan & Pawel Jocz, Art Montparnasse Gallery, Paris
2007   The Search for the Lost City, Engel Gallery, Tel Aviv

Awards & Prizes:
1971  The America-Israel Cultural Foundation prize, Israel
1976  First prize for etching artist, Orly, France
1976  Du Haut-Pavé honour prize, Paris
1988  first prize for wood engravings, Elancourt, France
1991  First prize for graphic artist, Lodge, Poland

Original artworks by Richard Bilan can be found at the Engel Galleries Israeli art collection.