"The Guide" Painting

Elena (Olena) Kuzenko is a Ukrainian contemporary painter based in Odesa, working primarily in oil on linen canvas. Her expressive figurative realism combines classical painting techniques with symbolic narratives about vulnerability, love, moral responsibility, inner balance, and hope.
Living and working in Ukraine during the war has deepened her exploration of safety, human connection, and the strength we find in one another. Through contrasts of warm and cold light, expressive colour, and carefully chosen symbols, she gives visible form to intimate emotional experiences. Each painting invites viewers to look beyond the scene and discover the human story within it.
Kuzenko holds a university degree in Germanic Philology, specialising in English, from Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University. Her background in language and literature informs her sensitivity to metaphor and storytelling. Her artistic development includes studies with Richard Robinson, specialised online art courses, and sustained independent study of anatomy and the techniques of the Old Masters.
In 2026, her paintings Passion and Cocoon of Safety were selected for NO LIMITS: ART OF FREEDOM at Golden Duck Gallery in Budapest, where she received an Award of Excellence and a cash prize. Her international recognition also includes Finalist Awards from CEV Art Gallery, an Honorable Mention from TERAVARNA, and selection for the VAA Art100 International shortlist. Her work has been featured in Divide Magazine, Visual Art Journal, and Arty Rat, and selected for a two-page feature in The Big Book of Painters 2026.