Vira Ustianska

Vira Ustianska is a Ukrainian-born artist whose work merges realism and impressionism into a distinctive visual language centered on light, memory, and emotional resonance.
Trained at the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts, she developed a strong academic foundation that underpins her confident technique and refined compositions. Her practice has evolved through major life transitions, including her relocation to the United States in 2022, where the landscapes of California introduced a new scale of light, color, and atmosphere into her work.
At the core of Ustianska’s practice is the exploration of memory and identity. This is most powerfully expressed in her ongoing series “1000 Sunflowers”—a growing body of work that reflects resilience, cultural roots, and personal history. Alongside this, her landscapes, still lifes, and portraits capture fleeting moments with sensitivity and depth, transforming everyday subjects into timeless, emotionally charged images.
Her paintings are recognized for their luminous color, expressive brushwork, and ability to balance classical discipline with immediacy. Whether working on an intimate miniature or a large-scale canvas, Ustianska creates works that invite collectors to connect on a deep...

Kharkiv Academy of Design and Arts (2009-2015)

2026 ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF IMPERIAL AVENUE, Gallery 21 & Tularosa Gallery
2026 From Sea to Sierra, CAC Virtual Gallery
2026 Mardi Gras Carnival, ECAA Gallery, El Cajon
2025 Santa Ysabel Art Gallery, Group Show III
2025 OPA Online Showcase (Fall & Summer), All Member Exhibitions
2025 AIS 26th Annual National Juried Exhibition, Cassens Fine Art Gallery, Montana
2025 AIS Annual Associate Member & Small Works Showcases
2025 Oceanside Plein Air Festival, OMA
2025 Ocean Love Show, ECAA, El Cajon
2025 California Art Club, Awakening the Earth (Online)
2025 “3 Years”, Space-in-Between Gallery, San Diego
2025 “Inspiration”, Union Hall Gallery, San Diego
2025 SDMA Members Exhibition, PHES Gallery, Carlsbad
2024 SDMA Artists Guild Exhibition, Gallery 21, San Diego
2024 72nd Fine Art Open, Carlsbad
2024 Art Scene West Gallery (Landscape, Seascape, The Finest Art)
2024 “Memories”, Space-in-Between Gallery, San Diego
2023 “1000 Sunflowers”, Inspiration Gallery, San Diego
2023 “VU. Ukrainian Impressionism”, Space-in-Between Gallery
2022 International Plein Air “Łańcut”, Rzeszow & Mielec, Poland
2022 An Appeal for Peace, Slovenia
2021 “Sincere Ukraine”, Energodar
2020–2019 Multiple solo & group exhibitions: Kyiv (Starytsky, Ryl...