Yelena was born in Ekaterinburg, Russia and studied visual arts at an early age at the Moscow School of Fine Arts.
 
As a teen Yelena emigrated to the United States with her family. In Minnesota she studied Painting, Illustration and Graphic Design. After earning a B.A. in Fine Arts and Art History at the University of Minnesota's College of Liberal Arts and at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, she worked as a graphic artist and later as an art director.
 
She moved to Germany in 1992. In Duesseldorf Yelena went back to developing her fine art skills and began selling her paintings at private galleries and to private collectors.
 
In 2000 Yelena moved to Florence, Italy. Tuscany proved instrumental to her artistic development and she expressed it's beauty with vibrant colors and light, mastering the technique of watercolors, oils and acrylics.
 
In 2005 Yelena moved to the Hague, the Netherlands, where she turned from the rich color scheme. She began to experiment with air brush and mixed media. Yelena developed her own technique of ''black and white'' portraiture, using non-traditional materials and tools, creating moody contemporary imagery. She went on to perfect her skills in working with mixed media to create textured three-dimensional paintings.
 
Since 2010 Yelena has resided in London, UK. She continues to master her 'black and white'' theme, as well as exploring additional mixed media technique in structural work. To create her ''structures'' of defining texture and subtle color pallet, she combines classically realistic elements with surrealistic and abstract styles. This blend of styles and techniques elevate these art works to a profound level of self-expression. The ''structures'' convey the emotional aspect of Yelena's life journey.
 
Yelena is available for consignment work, private consultations and teaching engagements.