Olena Mykhailenko - Ukrainian artist

Olena Mykhailenko

Ukrainian Artist | Landscape Painting

I was born on August 28, 1991 in Kyiv, where I live and work today. I also have a summer creative studio in the Kyiv region, where I find inspiration in nature and work on my landscapes.

My path to art was not straightforward. Since childhood, I dreamed of creativity, but life circumstances directed me to another professional field. I received an education in finance, but at the age of 25 I returned to my long-standing desire to paint. My creative searches began with illustration and gradually led to oil painting, which became my main way of self-expression.

I do not have an academic art education. My path is an independent study of art, the study of painting techniques and the constant search for my own artistic language. The work of Arkhip Kuindzhi occupies a special place in my formation. His ability to work with light has greatly influenced my understanding of painting.

For me, light is more than an artistic medium. Through it, I strive to show the world as a child sees it, believing in happiness. A world in which colors seem brighter, nature more majestic, and each new day is filled with the expectation of something beautiful.

My greatest source of inspiration has always been nature. That is why the main genre of my work has become landscape. I love working from nature, observing the variability of light, atmosphere and natural colors. At the same time, I do not strive for photographic accuracy. For me, it is much more important to convey the emotion, the feeling of the moment and my own perception of what I see. Sometimes the colors on my canvases become brighter than real ones, because this is how, in my opinion, we perceive the world in childhood.

Through my paintings, I want to awaken in the viewer nostalgia for childhood - a time when the world seemed limitless, and happiness was simple and natural.

A special place in my work is occupied by the author's series "Field" and "From Dreams". The series "Field" unites eleven works, three of which have already found their place in private collections. I create some of these landscapes directly in the open air, observing nature.

The series "From Dreams" consists of four paintings and has a special personal meaning. These are my places of power - spaces in which reality is intertwined with inner experiences, memories and intuitive feelings. I believe that painting is able to convey not only a visible image, but also the emotional state in which it was created.

In 2023, I dared to present my works to a wide audience and began professional exhibition activities. Since then, she has participated in group exhibitions in Kyiv and Krakow, including projects by Adrum Ukraine, the Colors of Life art association, and other exhibition initiatives.

Today, my paintings are in private collections in Amsterdam, Hamburg, Nashville, Kyiv, and Odessa. My works are also presented on international art platforms Saatchi Art, Fine Art America, and Artsy.

I do not seek to permanently define the boundaries of my own style. For me, art is a continuous process of searching, learning about the world and myself. I want my paintings to change with me, remaining a sincere reflection of my feelings, thoughts, and inner world.

Selected exhibitions

2023 — “Generations of War,” Adrum Ukraine, Ukraine.

2023 — “Moments of the Soul,” Artist’s House, Kyiv, Ukraine.

2024 — “Generation of War”, Adrum Ukraine, Voivodeship Public Library, Krakow, Poland.

2024 — “Colors of Ireland”, House of the Artist, Kyiv, Ukraine.

2024 — “Symphony of Imagination”, House of the Architect, Kyiv, Ukraine.

2024 — Group exhibition, Modivo Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine.

2025 — “Source of Inspiration”, House of the Architect, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Private collections: Ukraine, Netherlands, Germany, USA.

Online platforms: Saatchi Art, Fine Art America, Artsy.

Instagram: @lena_mykhailenko