Artist Profile

Elena Guryeva

Novato, California

As human beings, we dwell in a fascinating and mysterious world, where often verbal language alone falls short to describe the complexities of our experiences. Creating artwork is a vehicle to visually express my perception of the world. I have lived in several diverse countries, which enabled me to learn multiple languages and observe various cultures. This wisdom drives me to respond in my art practice and explore numerous themes. I am inspired by this ongoing investigation and propelled to create new series of works, while using different means of expression in my art.
Visual language is a powerful and dynamic universal instrument of communication. My intention is to convey to the viewer my emotions, ideas, and perspective from an angle that differs from our daily encounters. The objective here is to conjure a positive emotional response, and to move people, in their own ways.
In my art I explore several topics.
In the series Phenomena, I am motivated to materialize changes in nature. Often these shifts are a part of a natural cycle. For example, a sunset, a low tide or the arrival of a new season. Other times they are sudden events, like an earthquake or the collapse of a glacier.
In this body of work there is an encounter between two painting styles. One being of randomness of a technique that is reminiscent of Gerhard Richter’s work. The second referencing the geometry of small squares that results from the application of paint with brushes, with the size of each square adapted to the thickness of different brushes. In creating tese works, I pay special attention to the forms that are superimposed, as they represent computer language and the place that technology occupies in our society. Each pixel, or square, floats and levitates in my landscapes, assembling the narrative, like pieces of a puzzle activating transformation that exists in Nature.
My series of works entitled Infinity reflects the world in which we live and focuses on the idea of continuity in terms of time and space. This type of abstract landscape is inspired by scientific images of both the micro and macro cosmos.
My most recent series Spaces, has a connection with my experience as an architect. My passion for Architecture and spaces that are created by humans, propels me to blur the boundaries between construction and nature. The process of creating 3D modeling is a technique that is employed in my art. I transform the personal, the commonplace, and the uncanny into dream-like narratives and magical worlds that unfold the mysteries of our subconscious and imagination. My aim is for the viewer to be compelled to step into the world that I have created, wander there, and break away from reality.

Elena Guryeva is a San Francisco Bay Area artist who grew up in Russia. A former practicing architect, Elena has since lived in several diverse countries. Upon her move to Belgium, she began making art. After her relocation to Santiago, Chile in 2017, Guryeva joined a group of artists and dedicated herself full time to painting. In 2020 she completed her studies in History of Art and Contemporary Gallery Management at Sotheby's Institute of Art, New York. She has exhibited internationally, and her work can be found in private collections in Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Since 2021, Elena has been living and working as a freelance artist in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA.