生于香港，台湾国立艺专(今国立台湾艺术大学)凋塑科毕业后，至义大利着名的世界凋塑中心卡拉拉(Carrara)石矿区亨鲁(Henraux)石凋工作室从事石凋创作。在工作室期间，黎志文有机会接触到如亨利‧摩尔(Henry Moore)、野口勇(Isamu Noguchi)、彼得‧卡耶拿(Pietro Cascella)等国际着名的艺术家。经历四年创作后，他获美国凋塑家罗伯‧鲁辛(Robert Russin)研究金，至美国怀俄明州工作，并于1980年取得美国怀俄明大学凋塑硕士学位。求学期间并与荷兰籍妻子保琳共结连理，于1982年取得荷兰视觉艺术机构之职业艺术家资格至荷兰创作生活，于1984年回台湾任教于国立艺术学院(今国立台北艺术大学)至今。历经香港、义大利、美国、荷兰再回到台湾，丰富的阅历与吸收了多元思潮的审美观，但他很早就选择回归东方精神。

黎志文说：「回到台湾三十年中，我不断尝试探索和开发一种固有的造型语彙；此具有人类与自然共生共存的历史演化和深度。此凋塑造形语彙其原始为中文六书中造字原理和方法，从中文造形中蕴藏着悠久传统文化之涵养，更反映出东方的哲学思想，和人类各种生活经验。从此，我体会和学习到东方的人与自然、人与人之关係。而创作凋塑时，藉着『象形』、『会意』等造字的精神手法，去传递出来的讯息，其不仅是个人文化背景之局限，更是具有普遍性的共同语言与普世价值。」

Born in Hong Kong in 1949, Lai graduated from the sculpture department of National Taiwan Academy of Arts. He later travelled to Italy where he practiced sculpture at Henraux S.p.A., Carrara, which is famous for its quarries and sculptures. During this time, Lai had the opportunity to work alongside Henry Moore, Isamu Noguchi, and Pietro Cascella. After four years in Italy, he received a fellowship to further his education in Wyoming under the sculptor, Robert Russin. And, in 1980, he received his M.F.A degree in sculpture from University of Wyoming. During this period, he married Paulien. In 1982, he was admitted as a member of the Beeldende Kunstenaars Regeling in the Netherlands. Lai returned to Taiwan in 1984 upon invitation to hold a teaching position at the National Institute of the Arts (now, Taipei National University of the Arts), where he still teaches today. Having experienced life in Hong Kong, Italy, the United States, the Netherlands, and Taiwan, Lai was able to foster a rich and diverse perspective on aestheticism. Nevertheless, it was always clear to Lai that he would return to embrace the Eastern spirit.