Kazaks was born in a relatively meager surroundings and had to struggle to finish his high school education.

Like many Latvian modernists, his formal artistic training and the choice of his most compelling subjects derived from his experience as a refugee during World War I.

[4] He was also profoundly inspired by the series of paintings of his fellow countryman Jazeps Grosvalds, bringing to these themes his own intimist painter's sensitivity.

He used his influences and interests to create a personal style characterised by expressiveness, simplicity, synthesis and distortion of forms.

Over 40 of his oil paintings as well as around 150 of his water colours and drawings are exhibited at the Latvian State Museum of Art.