Gala Semenova

Gala Semenova is a self-taught Fine Art Portrait Photographer who lives and works in San Diego, California. I was born in Tula, Russia in 1981 and relocated to the States in 2009.

My journey to discovering my own femininity revealed a deep connection to women as the subject of my artistic expression. Every expression of femininity—a woman’s personal story, her cultural context, every defeat and victory—sheds light on the complexities of my own womanhood.

My work is a response to the pressure-filled, patriarchal culture i left behind in Russia and the youth/beauty, power-obsessed culture i now experience in America. I strive to capture the true spirit of women, amplifying and revealing something absolutely personal that oftentimes is shared by many yet hasn’t been acknowledged or exposed. With each portrait, i aim to reveal the vulnerable woman inside to allow space for recognition, healing, and empowerment.

My photography presents women and their stories, documents their lives in such a way that is feminine, powerful, and touching. Each photograph i take reflects a part of me, of who i am.

FotoNostrum Gallery. 6th edition of the Biennial of Fine Art & Documentary Photography. Spain, Barcelona.
December - January 2021
TwentyOne Gallery. “Escapism”. July - August 2021
CICA Museum. Exhibition “Concept 2021”. Korea. July 2021
The IN Gallery. "Full Moon" group art show. San Diego. April 2021
WomensWork.Art Gallery. Exhibition "Through the Eye" Women in Photography. New York. April 2021
Israeli Art Market. “THE Passover”. March - June 2021
TwentyOne Gallery. “Endurance”. March - April 2021
TwentyOne Gallery. Online contemporary photography group exhibition “Expressions”. March 2021
ArtDoc Magazine (UK). Online fine art group exhibition "Inner World". March 2021
La Bodega Gallery. San Diego, CA. BLACK & WHITE Group Photography Show. 2017
CoSpace Gallery. Portland, OR. Group show “Visual Story Telling”. 2017
Hammond’s creative space. San Diego, CA. Group art show “Abstractionism”. 2017
4 Elements of Culture. Las Vegas, NV. Solo art show. 2011
Bellagio Casino. Caramel Lounge. Las Vegas, NV. Solo exhibition. “Memories”. 2010.