Elena Penkova was born and raised in the tumultuous city of Kiev, Ukraine. As a center
for trade and culture, Kiev offered Elena the opportunity to be exposed to a world of art
and music from an early age. Elena graduated from The University of Art and Theater
Academy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. As a student, she was introduced and inspired by
the great art works of both past and present, those of her own culture in addition to
those of other civilizations’ avant garde movements of her time. Elena could not help
but be moved by the haunting beauty and power of these styles. Flexing her artistic
talents, she successfully participated in numerous exhibitions and art shows in Ukraine.
Today, Elena now lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Despite the challenges of
settling into a new place while establishing her new family, she never gave up on her
passion for painting. Her enthusiasm and interest in continuing to develop her art was
aroused by her initial encounter with Southern California landscapes, which continue to
inspire her. In addition, she enjoys painting still life and figurative art in her spare time.
Elena is a member of California Art Club and numerous of her original pieces have been
exhibited in Women’s City Club, such as “Painting Created in Studio” and “Images of
Springtime” in Portico Gallery in Santa Barbara.
Currently, Elena keeps her artistic skills at the ready as a master embellishing artist for
Collectors Editions, publishers of Disney Fine Art, where she is a key artistic
collaborator with dozens of published Disney artists.