Artios Gallery presents
Elena Zelenina
The collection of paintings and drawings
2006 - 2021 NEW YORK
Copyright © 2021 by Artios Gallery, LLC
All rights reserved.
"Art seems to me to be above all a state of the soul."
- Marc Chagall
Foreword We all need to create, invent, and summon our inner spirit to bring out something that did not previously exist. That urge gives rise to progress as well as destruction; it has the capacity to transform human life for better or worse. It is also a reflection of an inner human state. Wassily Kandinsky once said, “That is beautiful which is produced by the inner need, which springs from the soul.” That could be true; however, the soul should be pure to create a beautiful work of art. The creation coming from the soul can lift one up, inspire, motivate, and heal. It can enlighten the artist and those around them.
In Hinduism, enlightenment means “liberation,” “emancipation,” “release.” To be enlightened is to be free from anything that stands in the way of one’s inner peace, such as negative emotions, thoughts, and memories. The notion of enlightenment stems from the Vedic religion practiced since ancient times by the Aryan people of northern India, a predecessor of Hinduism. It gave rise to the concept of “completion,” which teaches to consciously free oneself from suffering by practicing Oneness. “If you need to doubt something, doubt your self-doubt, if you need to hate something, hate your self-hatred, and if you need to deny something, deny your self-denial,” teaches Indian guru Paramahamsa Nithyananda.
Nithyananda’s postulate of looking into one’s inner self, improving it, and transforming for the better, is the main principle by which Elena Zelenina lives and creates. The Russian-American artist, author, educator, and life coach is constantly searching for ways to expand her world, to open up new possibilities to improve her own life and the lives of others. Coming from a family with deep artistic roots, Elena was surrounded by paints, brushes, and canvases since early childhood. However, her sense of individuality and own artistic style came much later. As Elena explained, “I painted to breathe, not to sell or talk about it.”
Musician / pastel on paper, 24 x 18 inches, 2021
When looking at Elena’s paintings, one can feel her innermost light coming through. The artist believes that beauty within shines through interactions between humans positively affecting our well-being. In her book ART Completes: Exercises to Develop Your Individual Vision, Self-Expression & Artistic Skill, Elena talks about light as a spiritual torch, representing wisdom and guiding us “through the confused journey of life.” For her, light “signifies the supreme energy moving the universe, as well as this planet.” Her spirituality is evident in the titles such as “Gospel,” “Enriching Sisterhood,” “Prayer,” and “Grace.” Take, for example, her painting “Enriching Sisterhood.” This small-scale watercolor and pencil work on paper depicts three silhouettes of women, one in the foreground with beautiful long hair, seemingly stepping into the water. Perhaps alluding to the ancient Indian ritual of “purifying one’s soul” by bathing in the holy river, Elena illuminates the figures with bright yellow paint, producing the effect of glowing from within. 7
The artist's choice of medium is not serendipitous. In her mixed media, watercolors are given the center stage. Known for their luminous, almost translucent effect on the paintings, the watercolors in Elena's works radiate light within, emphasizing their spiritual nature. Says Balasz Takac of the Widewalls Magazine,
“Zelenina’s contemplative dreamscapes are a manifestation of the way the artist perceives spirituality since to her, everything in life is about spirituality or enlightenment, about what she likes to call as “enlightened living.””
Indeed, Elena’s paintings could be described as “dreamscapes.” Many of them are reminiscent of the surreal pastorals of her favorite artist, Marc Chagall. Dubbed by the art critic Robert Hughes as “the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century,” Chagall saw his works as “not the dream of one people but of all humanity.” As to Chagall, spirituality is central to Elena’s creations. She, too, sees her works as a manifestation of one whole, the human spirit.
Elena’s extensive travels through India deeply affected her philosophy and artistic expression. She follows the principles of Vedic science of completion, which stipulates that we can free ourselves from the preconceived notions imposed on us by society and open our minds to the creative force that lives within. “To be in Completion is to experience the present moment without the pain of past experiences. It is the space of lightness and energy,” writes the artist. Our ability to connect to that force allows us to experience Oneness, be a part of God and the universe. Elena’s spiritual works are a testimony to her life practice.
Her Name Is Joy / watercolor on paper, 9 x 10 in, 2015
This volume comprises 70 paintings, including works on paper and canvases completed in the period from 2006 through 2021. They are grouped into 9 collections according to the themes defined by the artist, and each highlights a topic important to Elena and her spiritual journey. Her works carry a polyphony of tones, lines, and textures combined into one idea coming from within. Looking at them, one sees delightful imagery that reflects a beautiful soul.
by Ellen Opman
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About Elena Zelenina Russian-born Elena Zelenina grew up in the studios of two artists, M.Biryukov (1926-1995), her stepfather and godfather, and N.Gladkih (1927-1995), her uncle. Spending summers by the sea watching her uncle paint with all shades of blue and green or being in the studio alongside her stepfather shaped Elena’s artistic vision to a great extent. Both influenced her but in very different ways. Flamboyant and free-spirited Gladkih taught Elena to love life and set the start to her search for joy. Biryukov, on the other hand, displayed an iron discipline and responsibility towards his craft and artistic career. Once he committed to something, he would see it through till the end. That unwavering determination and diligence shaped Elena’s future attitude towards work. Elena did not plan to become a professional artist until she moved to the US in 1995. Having a Master’s Degree in Education, Elena looked into art instruction as a means of helping her daughter overcome a learning disability, an auditory processing disorder (ADP). Unable to find classes that would address her specific concerns, she founded the Biryukov Academy of Arts and Music in New Jersey, a highly successful school for children and adults. Her goal was to create an environment where students could experiment, express themselves freely, and discover their unique potential in the process. She saw tremendous progress with her daughter’s health, which encouraged her to continue. During that period, she herself began painting seriously and showing her work to others.
Elena believes she met her creative destiny in 2008 on her first trip to India. While trekking the Himalayan Mountains, surrounded by vibrant ineffable colors of that vast country, she stood above the clouds in complete awe of the place and all of creation. At that moment, Elena felt as though a shock wave had gone through her body. She was reborn as an artist. The music, the food, the spirit all seemed almost addictive. As she went deeper into herself, Elena felt the craving to come back again and again.
In India, Elena discovered the navigation map of the Creative Spirit, Vedic Art. In 2013, she became a certified Vedic Art instructor and began helping others to realize their highest potential through experiencing the state of Oneness, an ultimate goal of Hindu enlightenment. Elena authored a book, ART Completes: Exercises to Develop Your Individual Vision, Self-Expression & Artistic Skill, where she explored this process at length. She also became a sought-after life coach, spreading the wisdom of completion to corporate and private clients. As an artist, Elena is immensely intuitive, constantly listening to her inner voice to guide her on paper or canvas. The artist describes her creative process as follows,“I often start with a meditation to connect with my untamed spirit. I do it by listening to the line moving across the paper to understand what it wants to express, and then to surrender to its desire. Listening to the line is much more important than guiding it because art is a direct way of communicating with the human spirit. My whole life I’ve been using art as a tool to help others, to open them up, to heal, to start them on a new adventure. In reality, I was helping myself to have courage, to trust life, and to be ready to meet the unknown.” Today, Elena carries on with her life’s work, helping others while continuously refining her own skills and ideas. When asked about her most desired artistic dream, she says, “I dream of creating an enormous art bliss wave worldwide and one day building an art enlightenment temple. I hope I will soon know the “how” for this vision, or when I am ready, it will open up like a lotus flower.”
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Oneness All my art is about Oneness. Three years from 2018 to 2021 were a massive test for me in living Oneness, finding strength in it, projecting it regardless of what was happening. Some of the sweetest events were part of these three years, like a magical wedding celebration of my son, trip to India with my mom right before her 80th birthday and seeing her dancing in the ashram, seeing my guruji hugging her and comforting her, seeing her crying because her heart was melting with love, watching my daughter's graduation were a part of these three years. I met new friends and felt as if we had lived many lifetimes together. And so many more...
On the suffering side, my mom passed, my dad died, my Vincent (the best dog ever) left the body in my arms, my mother-in-law passed, and we had a pandemic where I spent several months in isolation. Oneness does not discriminate between good and bad. Our ability to see deeper than surface-level good or bad is what grasping Oneness means. Feeling connected when time or space separate us is Oneness. Reaching out beyond this life is Oneness.
Multiple lines in my paintings create one piece. I used watercolors for this collection because I wanted to produce a fluid feeling allowing for many layers of interpretation. Various events dance together in Oneness, creating an illusion and liberation from the illusion depending on the depth of our being.
Founding Mothers II
watercolor, colored pencil on paper
18 x 24 inches, 2019 10
The Dream
watercolor on paper
18 x 24 inches, 2019
A Dreamer
watercolor, colored pencil on paper
24 x 18 inches, 2019
Madonna
watercolor, colored pencil on paper
24 x 18 inches, 2019, 11
Gospel
watercolor, colored pencil on paper
18 x 24 inches, 2019 12
Founding Mothers
watercolor, colored pencil on paper
18 x 24 inches, 2019
Contemplation
watercolor, colored pencil on paper
18 x 24 inches, 2019
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The Flare
watercolor, colored pencil on paper
24 x 18 inches, 2019 14
The City Girl
watercolor, colored pencil on paper
18 x 24 inches, 2019
Autobiography of an Artist Every painting in this collection represents a moment or aspect of my life. Change is inevitable and sometimes scary, but once you accept and embrace that change, something beautiful emerges. These paintings are parts of my story.
Twenty Two
acrylic on paper
24 x 18 inches, 2020
Mom and Me
watercolor, pen, pencil on paper
12 x 9 inches, 2014 15
2020 Textured
mixed media on paper 12 x 12 inches, 2020 16
Her Name Is Joy
watercolor on paper
9 x 12 inches, 2015
Lines
acrylic on paper
16 x 20 inches, 2011
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Mama's Fairy Tale
mixed media on paper
9 x 12 inches, 2020
Mom's Passing
watercolor on paper
5 x 7 inches, 2019
Women Stories In a world where there is such disrespect and disregard of women, where their intricate and fascinating design is taken for granted and abused, it's our responsibility to educate our sons and men on their protective role and educate women on their true essence.
Until child marriages are eradicated and called by their true name, "rape," the world will not know peace. Until men realize that anger towards a person different from them is weakness and not strength, female abuse will continue. Until our daughters and mothers feel that they don't need to prove their right to do what they want with their bodies and souls, there won't be new beginnings for this world. Raising a woman's self-esteem by loving her and telling her that she is lovable is what this collection is about.
I Am What I Am
pen, acrylic markers, watercolor, pencil on paper
10 x 8 inches, 2016
Wake Up Please
watercolor, pencil, ink on paper
12 x 9 inches, 2013
I Remember watercolor, pencil on paper
12 x 9 inches, 2020 19
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Matrix II
oil pastel on paper
9 x 12 inches, 2014
Matrix I
oil pastel on paper
9 x 12 inches, 2014
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Light Within
watercolor, pen, acrylic on paper
7 x 4 inches, 2016
A Girl Who Became a Sail watercolor, pencil on paper
12 x 9 inches, 2018
Perfect Stranger
mixed media on canvas board
20 x 16 inches, 2007 -2021
Curious Main
mixed media on paper
20 x 16 inches, 2007 23
Winter Dance
watercolor, acrylic, pencil on paper
16 x 12 inches, 2020 24
Forgotten Love
mixed media on paper
16 x 12 inches, 2018
Golden Gates This collection comprises works that I consider to be my visual expressions of Spiritual Breakthroughs. Whether it is a sensation of an omnipresent spirit (“Always with Us”) or an intense emotion of love (“…But I Love You”), the moment of stepping into the holy river (“Enriching Sisterhood”) or a feeling of healing (“Home”), these paintings tell stories of my spiritual journey.
Different Angles
watercolor, acrylic, markers, pen on paper
9 x 6 inches, 2018
Enriching Sisterhood
watercolor, colored pencil on paper
12 x 9 inches, 2017 25
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Flowers Are Like People
acrylic on canvas board
30 x 24 inches, 2014
Pistol
acrylic on canvas board
30 x 24 inches, 2019
Home
pastel on paper
24 x 18 inches, 2021
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Painting the Sky
acrylic on canvas
30 x 24 inches, 2019
Making a Way
acrylic on canvas board
20 x 16 inches, 2021
But I Love You
acrylic on canvas
14 x 18 inches, 2019
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Her Healing Presence
acrylic on canvas
24 x 18 inches, 2021 30
Petal Dance
acrylic on canvas
30 x 24 inches, 2019
True Form of Love
acrylic on panel, triptych
30 x 60 inches, 2020 31
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Always with Us
acrylic on canvas
30 x 24 inches, 2019
The King
pen on paper
18 x 24 inches, 2019
Removing Obstacles
watercolor, pencil on paper
18 x 24 inches, 2018
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Conversations with God My spiritual journey started when I was 22 years old and pregnant with my son. I felt I needed protection that was more than this world could offer. I studied different religions and found they all had incredible similarities yet fundamental differences in how humans perceive and are perceived. This opened up intense conversations with God or Gods. These paintings represent different conversations/prayers I experienced.
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Praying Beat
watercolor, pencil, acrylic markers on paper
12 x 9 inches, 2020
Oz
acrylic on canvas board
20 x 16 inches, 2020
Your Protector
mixed media on paper 20 x 16 inches, 2018 35
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Musician
pastel on paper
24 x 18 inches, 2021
Grace
pastel on paper
24 x 18 inches, 2020
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Dancing Lines I enjoy movement. I enjoy dance. I enjoy watching instruments move to create music. While studying the 18 Vedic Principles of Creating Visual Artwork, I learned the concept of a Line that reveals itself when an artist surrenders to it; I became a certified instructor of this method. The collection of dancing lines expresses endless creativity, which is the first principle among 18. When I start a painting this way, I never know what it will be. However, I know that the work feels complete when the moment or an idea is fully conveyed. It's not accidental.
Alice
acrylic on canvas board
5 x 7 inches, 2021
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Lovers
acrylic on canvas board
3 x 5 inches, 2021
Butterfly
watercolor, pencil on paper
9 x 12 inches, 2021
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Complexity
watercolor, pencil on paper
9 x 12 inches, 2021
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Chaotic Calm
watercolor, pencil on paper
9 x 12 inches, 2021
Friend watercolor, pencil on paper
9 x 12 inches, 2021
Heart of Gold
mixed media on paper
3 x 5 inches, 2018
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Landscape
acrylic on paper
20 x 16 inches, 2017
Lines Red
marker on paper
4 x 6 inches, 2013
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Emergence
watercolor, pencil on paper
9 x 12 inches, 2021
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Hectic
watercolor, pencil on paper
9 x 12 inches, 2021
5D System In this series, images came before I realized their meaning. The experience of painting them was similar to what I felt working on the "Conversations with God" collection. It's exciting; I do not know the result, and it creates intense curiosity, puzzle-solving experience: "Will this tone help to express what I am yet to grasp fully?" After contemplation, I realized that these works are about five different life systems: logic, emotions, spiritual cognitions or convictions, time with two aspects: linear and psychological, and unknown.
Fresh Urban
acrylic on canvas board
18 x 24 inches, 2021
High Up in the Himalayas
acrylic on canvas board
18 x 24 inches, 2021
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India Impressions I have been to India 11 times, traveled through the Himalayas and South of India, lived in the ashrams, performed yatras, prayed in Temples, meditated on the banks of the Ganga River, completed my past, and opened up my future. I made friends all over the world. I will never forget the first look at the red Indian soil and the feeling that I was home at last. Once, I spent a month in Kumbh Mela, a place of the biggest spiritual gathering on the planet; I saw the saddhus and devotion of regular people. New dimensions of life opened up for me and within me. I am beyond grateful to India for all it gave and keeps giving, for Hinduism and its vast knowledge, for the strength I found that I did not know I had. I am forever in love with this county and its people.
He Supports
watercolor, ink on paper
12 x 9 inches, 2017 46
My Swamiji
watercolor on paper
12 x 9 inches, 2013
Mother
watercolor, pencil, marker on paper
12 x 9 inches, 2011
Standing Up for Dharma
watercolor on paper
5 x 3 inches, 2016 47
Glorious Couple
watercolor, pen, marker on paper
9 x 12 inches, 2017 48
Young Monk
watercolor, pen, pencil on paper
6 x 4 inches, 2016
Not Broken
watercolor, marker on paper
5 x 3 inches, 2018
Russian Roots
watercolor, pen, pencil on paper
4 x 6 inches, 2016
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Mother Kali acrylic on paper
20 x 16 inches, 2016 50
Images of You #1
acrylic, pencil, watercolor, marker on paper
7 x 5 inches, 2016
Nature: Flowers & Landscapes In India, they say "flower" is God because the colors, textures, smells are endless. My daughter came back from her first trip to India when she was 12, and she brought back a drawing of flowers that filled the page. On the back of that drawing, she wrote: "People are like flowers. All beautiful. All unique." Since that moment, I have enjoyed painting flowers, thinking that each painting is a celebration of beauty, uniqueness, God's expression.
Pink Forest
mixed media on canvas board
16 x 20 inches, 2006
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Unchained Movement
acrylic on canvas
24 x 18 inches, 2018
Dancing Lilies
acrylic, markers on canvas board
18 x 16 inches, 2019
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Textured
acrylic on canvas board
16 x 12 inches, 2020
Red Sunset
mixed media on paper
9 x 12 inches, 2008
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Curator & Design: Elena Iosilevich
Editor & Text: Ellen Opman
Catalog cover:
Out of the Matrix
watercolor, pencil on paper
9 x 12 inches (14 X 17 cm), 2016
Website: www.ElenaZeleninaArtist.com
Email: elena.zelenina@gmail.com
Social media:
IG: @elenazelenina_art
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Artios Gallery, LLC
400 E 67th St
New York, NY 10065
Website: www.ArtiosGallery.com
Email: info@artiosgallery.com
Social media:
IG: @artiosgallery
Artios Gal lery, LLC
Printed in Amsterdam