Elena Pach

My name is Elena Pach and I live and work in Chicago. I began drawing and painting as a child, growing up in a family of artists. The one-hundred-unit apartment building where I lived in Kyiv belonged to the Artists’ Union, and nearly all of my neighbors were painters, ceramicists, or art critics. As a child, I truly believed the world consisted only of artists.

At the age of ten I entered the Republican Art School in Kyiv, traveling across the city every day for classes. I later graduated from the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture in 1994. That same year I moved to the United States, looking for adventure and new experiences.

One of the central ideas in my work is the uniqueness of each individual, including myself. I believe real art creates an unmistakably personal world for every artist. For me, success is when someone encounters my work somewhere and immediately recognizes it as mine — because of its singular visual language.

My inspiration comes from mythology, Ukrainian folklore, ornament, and elements of popular culture. I do not feel that my artistic practice fundamentally changed after moving to America. I am still the same artist, sometimes even returning to sketches and themes I first explored more than ...

EDUCATION
Shevchenko State Art School, Kyiv
Master of Fine Arts, 1994
National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, Kyiv, Ukraine
Renowned for its classical foundation and cultural significance, the Academy is one of Ukraine’s leading institutions for art and architecture.
Board Member, Art Committee, Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA), Chicago, IL May 2023 to (Present)
Member of Artist Union of Ukraine (1994 to Present)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Board Member, Art Committee, Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA), Chicago, IL May 2023 to (Present)
Member of Artist Union of Ukraine (1994 to Present)

EXHIBITIONS; RESIDENCIES
2026
9025Km, group show, Ukrainian Museum of Chicago, IL, April 8 to April 30, 2026


2025
In-House Artist, Chicago Grand Gallery, Chicago, IL (Apr – May 2025)
Bucktown Art Fair, Chicago, IL (Aug 2025)
10x10 Show, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, IL (Nov 2025)


2024–2025
Charitable Vision, Ukrainian Art Pop-Up, Cook County Treasurer’s Office (Maria Pappas), City Hall, Chicago, IL (Oct 2024 – Jan 2025)
Ukrainian Art Pop-Up, MAK Chicago, Chicago, IL (Oct 2024 – Jan 2025)

2024
Surreal Salon, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, IL (Oct 2024)
10x10 Show, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, IL (Nov 2024)
Alma Six, Alma Art and Interiors, Chicago, IL (Apr 2024 – Present)

2023
10x10 Show, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, IL (2023–2024)
The Other Art Fair, Chicago, IL (Apr 2023)

2022
Proxy Bodies, Group Exhibition, Chicago Art Department, Chicago, IL (Apr 8–30, 2022)