The Secrets of Demerji Forest. Diptych, 2021

Elya Reshetnikova  

Elya Reshetnikova (b. 1986, Almetyevsk, Tatarstan) is a contemporary painter based in St. Petersburg, Russia. With academic training in art history from the St. Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts (2008) and the Ilya Repin St. Petersburg Academy of Arts (2021), she brings both scholarly insight and painterly sensitivity into her practice.

Reshetnikova describes her style as impressionistic realism — a recognizable reality shaped by the freedom of brushstrokes, color play, and texture. Working mainly in oil on canvas, she often mixes pigments directly on the surface, allowing dynamic color interactions and textured layers to emerge in the process. Her works transform fleeting impressions into luminous compositions that balance clarity with painterly abstraction.

Her subjects span from the poppy fields of Crimea to the quiet streets of St. Petersburg, always infused with movement, light, and a sense of joy. Even in urban settings, she seeks the same organic energy she finds in nature. Retro rooftops, shadows on the floor, reflections on water, or a sudden gust of wind — simple, everyday details become poetic triggers for her art.

Reshetnikova has exhibited widely, with solo shows at Easel Gallery in St. Petersburg (South Wind. The North Sea, 2021; Crimean Etudes, 2017) and group exhibitions across Russia, India, Turkey, and Europe. Highlights include The World of Art at the New Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow, 2022), Russian Turkish Week of Culture & Art (Ankara, 2023), and Freedom at the National Academy of Art (Shimla, India, 2025). Her works have also been presented at VDNH Moscow, Samara, and international festivals.

Through her practice, Reshetnikova aims to offer viewers a moment of pause — an invitation to slow down, reflect, and rediscover joy in ordinary scenes. Her paintings are not only visual impressions but also emotional resonances preserved on canvas.