Yelena came to Maryland from Russia at age 7 which is when she started drawing. Following high school, Yelena had an art class at home before she found VisArts in Rockville, MD. She began with classes and subsequently joined the VisAbility Art Lab in December 2019. Yelena has explored with a variety of modalities and finds that she prefers painting and drawing. Many of her images explore popular culture and social media.  

Yelena works at restaurant in Olney where she has been employed for over 6 years. She enjoys basketball and earned a gold medal with her Special Olympics group. 

Yelena has exhibited her art in the Concourse Gallery at VisArts, Rockville, MD, April – May 2020 and has participated in several calls for art including Art From the Heart, May 2020.