László Lakner was born in Budapest in 1936. He received his school education at a specialist grammar school for fine arts in Budapest and form 1954 to 1960 studied painting under Professor Aurél Bernáth at the Budapest Art Academy. In 1968 László Lakner received a one-month scholarship from the Museum Folkwang in Essen. This scholarship was followed by numerous prizes and further scholarships, including the "Preis Deutscher Kritiker", Berlin and a one-year scholarship at PS1 in New York.
In 1974 László Lakner moved to Germany. In 1998 the Hungarian artist received the highest award awarded by the Hungarian state, the Kossuth Prize.
László Lakner lives and works in Berlin and Budapest.