Artworks by Elena Yuzefovich

I find inspiration in the textures and atmosphere of the urban world — old boats, rusty trains, industrial structures, and the lively energy of city streets. There is something endlessly compelling about weathered surfaces and the character that comes with age. Oil pastel is my medium of choice for this kind of work: it is perfect for building up rich texture, intense colour, and a sense of material weight.

For cityscapes and travel sketches, I also work in watercolour, which captures light and atmosphere in a way no other medium does. When drawing people in motion — flamenco performers, figures in the street — I reach for ink.

I love working on location, especially while travelling, and favour mediums that are easy to use outside. Oil pastel and watercolour are ideal companions for plein air work.

All of my work is painted on location, directly in front of the subject — in real light and open air, whether on the streets of a European city or beside the weathered hulls of old boats.

Exhibitions

Matite in Viaggio — Centro Culturale Candiani / Fondazione Forte Marghera, Mestre-Venice, Italy (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025) — in 2020, one of my paintings was selected as the official image of the exhibition

Diari di Viaggio Festival — Palazzo della Racchetta, Ferrara, Italy (2019)

Festival Rendez-Vous du Carnet de Voyage — Clermont-Ferrand, France (2018)

Sketching while Traveling. Spain — "Adelante", St. Petersburg (2018)

Italy: Travel Sketches — "Italica", St. Petersburg (2018)

Festival du Carnet de Voyage — Carcassonne, France (2017)

Colors of Venice — Flamenqueria, Moscow (2016–2017)

Spain through the Eyes of a Traveling Artist — Flamenqueria, Moscow (2020)

"La Maja Desnuda" — Gallery MINIMA, Moscow (2019)

I have also participated in several group exhibitions and have had four solo exhibitions in Moscow and St. Petersburg.