Elena Lyakir

Raised in communist Ukraine, Lyakir developed a passion for photography as a young child. Soviet cinematography and historical family photographs inspired her to pick up a camera when she was only seven. In 1990 she immigrated to the U.S. with her family, seeking political asylum, and shortly thereafter migrated to New York City.


Inspired by the ‘90s art scene, Lyakir took courses in photography and film studies at the Museum School of Fine Arts. Yet her experiences with oppressive authority in communist Ukraine eventually motivated her to continue pursuing her art through independent research, collaborations and experimentation in the dark room.


Lyakir’s work is included in private and corporate collections. She has exhibited in galleries and at art fairs in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Berlin, Lille, Sydney, and Istanbul. She has been commissioned to decorate walls of restaurants, hotels, and high end retail shops in New York City and around the globe. Lyakir lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.