Labas entered in 1906 the Moscow
Stroganov Institute and parallel the studio of I. Rerberg and I. Mashkov.
In 1924 he taught at the Moscow Vkhutemas. He is one of the founders of
OST, the Society of Easel Painters. In 1935 he was accused of formalism
and his work was rejected. In 1966 he had a small come back which
resulted in a personal exhibition in Moscow in 1976.