Night, 2019

Olena Shtepura  

Olena Shtepura is a young professional painter and set designer. She holds a master degree in arts from the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture in Kyiv, Ukraine and is a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine. Olena is actively participating in group exhibitions in Ukraine and abroad (over 30 exhibitions for the last 5 years), takes part in national and international art competitions, festivals, and art residences. Recently Olena also had a few personal exhibitions. Since the beginning of war in 2022 Ms. Shtepura participated in a number of exhibitions of Ukrainian art around Europe and United Stated.

Olena works in such styles as surrealism, expressionism, sometimes moving to the edge of abstraction. Olena likes to use large canvases, using bold and contrasting colours, and many of her paintings may be easily called "statement artworks". What definitely makes her paintings unique is a gentle feminine touch to most subject of her artworks, even those that are on the edge between figurative art and abstraction.

Education and qualifications:

2019 member to the National Union of Artists of Ukraine

2019 performance school in Lviv, Ukraine (course by Jasmin Schaitl)

2016-2018 The National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture (Kyiv, Ukraine), class of painting -master`s degree

2012-2016 The National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture (Kyiv, Ukraine), class of set-designer

2008-2012 Shevchenko State Art School (Kyiv, Ukraine), class of painting

Solo Exhibitions:

2021 Personal exhibition "Episodes" in the Urban Space 500, Kyiv

2020 Personal exhibition “Immersion” in the gallery Portal 11, Kyiv

Competitions, Festivals, Residences:

2022- Inter-disciplinary art project “Ukraine. Parts of one world. Parts of one body” by the experimental theatre-group ROFL MONKEY WORSE (actor, set

design) at Lighthof theater, Hamburg, Germany;

2022- Art residence and group exhibition “Ukraine: Leben, Liebe, Krieg und Freiheit”, Udays, Hamburg, Germany;

2022- Art residence and group exhibition “Stages” in Albert art gallery, Wien, Austria;

2021 - Stage design and costumes in the production of “Present Perfect” at the Odessa Theatre of Young Spectator them. Yuri Olesha;

2021 - the series “Episodes” is demonstrated as a representative of fine arts at the forum “Ukraine 30”;

2019- Participation in the Ukrainian Contemporary Woman’s Art Fest in the institute of problems of contemporary art in Kyiv;

2019 - Participation in Zabih Performance Festival in Lviv;

2019 - Participation in the contest “Objects Art Prize” in Kyiv;

2018 - participation in the art-residence and group exhibition in Zhovkva;

2017 - Participation in the open student competition of painting “Silver Easel” with the support of the BROVDI.ART Foundation. Laureate of special prizes

from the Transcarpathian Academy of Arts, Taras Tabak’s Art Residence and the magazine “Fine Arts” Uzhgorod;

2017 - participation in the Land-art Festival “Wind”, Kyiv;

2015 - Plenary exhibition in Montenegro with the support of the international fund “Cultural Domain” in Stolov;

2014 - The first prize at “Crystal Palette” competition, Kyiv.

Group Exhibitions:

2022- Collective project “Supernova. Art of Ukraine”, Basel, Switzerland

2022- Group exhibition “Ukrainian Voice. Your choice!”, Bread and Salt gallery, San Diego, USA

2022- Group exhibition “Unity: British & Ukrainian Art” by the art unit in Koppel X, London, United Kingdom

2022- Group exhibition “Connected art” in Holyshart, Warszawa, Poland

2022-Group exhibition “Revelation” at gallery Brulhart, Geneve, Switzerland

2022- Project of political art “Revolution” at Galerie Le Guern, Warszawa, Poland

2022 - Group exhibition “From the Pain to the Light” for the support of the organization Ukrainian Charity Exhibition, in Tallinn (Estonia) and Helsinki (Finland)

2022-Group exhibition “Don’t close your eyes” Boston, USA

2022 Group exhibition “Institutionalization” in the gallery Imagine Point, Kyiv

2022 Group exhibition “Curiosa” in the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, Kyiv

2021 Group exhibition "Ukrainian Surrealism" in the gallery Portal11, Kyiv

2020 a representative of Ukraine at the international competition "The Future We Want" on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations in Geneva, at the Palace of Nations.

2020 participation in the group project-homage "Museum of Contemporary Art of Ukraine" at the Institute of Automation, Kyiv.

2020 participation in the exhibition "Time Zero" at the Institute of Problem Contemporary Art in Kyiv.

2020 Visual art exhibition “Who am I today” gallery "Mytets", Kyiv

2020 Participation in the All-Ukrainian Art Project 'THE ENVIRONMENT OF EXISTENCE. MANIFEST 2020' Lavra Gallery, Kyiv

2019 Participation in the Ukrainian Contemporary Woman's Art Fest in the institute of problems of contemporary art in Kyiv

2019 participation in the exhibition «Ballpoint A4» Karas Gallery in Kyiv

2019 Participation in open doors arts studios and the exhibition “Chaos theory” at institute of Automation, Kyiv

2019 Participation in visual art exhibition "Good life" in gallery "Mytets" Kyiv

2019 participated in the Exhibition of Contemporary Women's Art "Vikna" Museum of the History of Kyiv

2018 participation in the exhibition «Ballpoint A4» Karas Gallery in Kyiv

2018 participation in the exhibition "The Feeling of freedom" to the White Ribbon Day in the Verkhovna Rada

2018 participation in the group exhibition of the project "Cultural exchange between cities of Ukraine" Sumy Municipal Gallery and Shostka Gallery

2018 participation in the project of Tetyana Ivashchenko IFASHION.ART, curator Svitlana Stoyan, Museum of History of Kyiv

2015 All-Ukrainian exhibition "Young Ukrainian Inspirations"

2015 All-Ukrainian Youth Event on the Independence Day. M. Kyiv

2015 All-Ukrainian art project "Historical figures of the future"

2014 All-Ukrainian exhibition "To the Intercession"

2014 All-Ukrainian anti-war peacekeeping exhibition "Hope" in Kyiv

2014 All-Ukrainian exhibition "Generosity of native land"

2013 All-Ukrainian exhibition "Ukraine, Ukrainians - the glorious land of the Cossack"

2015 Plenary exhibition in Montenegro with the support of the international fund "Cultural Domain" in Stolov

2017 participation in the Lend-art Festival "Wind", Kyiv