A 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 painting with all shades of blue and green, or being in the studio alongside her stepfather to a great extent, shaped Elena’s artistic vision. However, they differ significantly since both, her uncle and her stepfather magnified the beauty of the real world, whereas Elena often paints the reality. For years, Elena wondered who she was as an artist. She met her creative destiny while traveling through India, surrounded by vibrant, ineffable colors of this vast country.
