Biography of Elena Poletaeva

Elena Poletaeva was born on December 25, 1983 in the city of Vladivostok, where she began her creative career. This path was far from simple, but this is what helped her become a unique author, whose paintings are recognizable at first sight. Her parents had little to do with art and worked in forestry and zoology. But they instilled in their daughter a love of nature and never interfered with her choice of a future profession as an artist.
Elena studied at humanities school No. 12, where she attended the fine arts club with E.V. Yumatova. The teacher introduced her to the amazing diversity of world cultures and instilled in her a love of drawing. In 1994-1998 studied at the art school No. 5 in the art department in the group of V.S. Oshchepkov, who gave the young artist a good academic base and a subtle sense of beauty. Elena graduated from art school with honors. Then she studied at the Vladivostok Art School in the design department, which she successfully graduated with honors in 2001.

“During the years of study at the Vladivostok Art School, Elena showed herself to be a purposeful person, capable of learning and self-development. She expanded her creative potential and studied drawing and painting techniques. Elena is an example of an artist who focuses not only on visual art, but also follows the news of science and modern culture. Elena began her exhibition activities very early. By the time she entered the school, she had already held a personal exhibition of plein air works.”
(teacher at VCU, curator of M.V. Kholmogorov’s group)

A diploma with honors did not help her to enter further education for free to the institute, since there were few budget places this year. Higher education was left behind the door, which, however, Elena never regretted, as she always found the necessary information in online courses, on the Internet and from more experienced colleagues. After taking computer graphics courses from the labor exchange, Elena began to earn a living and develop in the field of design. First, Elena worked at the Art Studio “DVA” as an illustrator and painter, and later at the “L.I.P. Studio” as an artist-designer and animator. It was there that Elena met Semyon Klimovsky, who saw the young artist’s drawings and offered to create a personal exhibition. For many years he will help organize exhibitions and solve technical issues in the implementation of installations.
In order to have time to combine creative plans and work, Elena became a freelancer on single orders. In subsequent years, she worked with Russian and foreign customers and independently improved her professional skills. She worked in 3D modeling and visualization at Infori LLC and with the UDC company, and then worked as a yacht designer on large projects at Port Livadia LLC.
Elena skillfully combined creative activities with her work. In 2008, she held a significant personal exhibition, “Fractures of Consciousness,” in which she raised a complex psychological topic. The exhibition was dedicated to fears and doubts, showing people in different life situations with straightforward simplicity. In addition, each painting was accompanied by the author’s text, which revealed the meaning of the image and outlined new facets and meanings. Some critics hid their reactions behind cynical attempts to “read and diagnose” the author’s personality, while others, on the contrary, saw an elegant way of helping people and asked to use the paintings in psychological practice. Despite the non-standard theme, the public received the exhibition with warmth and understanding:

“When passing through the exhibition, the visitor seems to be moving from darkness to light. And plunging into the world of human nightmares, he comes to the simple beauty of our world. It can make you laugh or worry, surprise or frighten. But, looking at these paintings, you begin to understand the people living nearby a little better.”
(Video report by Victoria Kalinina, PTR news)


In 2010, Elena organized two exhibitions at once in the city of Saratov. “Not Childish Drawings” and “Fractures of Consciousness” with complex philosophical themes were not immediately accepted at the other end of Russia. Some paintings were misunderstood, while others aroused great interest and sympathy. Opinions of the artistic community and viewers were divided.

“...It is a great joy to talk with a person who sees in your painting exactly what you wanted to express with paints” (Victoria Holt). Indeed, this is a joy and a great rarity. But it seems to me that an artist does not have to always be clear and does not have to prove his point of view. The main thing is that you understand yourself and be in harmony with your thoughts and feelings.”
(from the artist’s diary)

In 2011, the director of the Artetazh Museum of Contemporary Art, Alexander Gorodny, graciously put at the disposal of a large hall for the exhibition of Elena Poletaeva. The exhibition “Non-Children's Drawings” lasted for almost a month and attracted the attention of viewers of different ages. I purchased the painting “Nobody” for my collection.a married couple who wish to remain anonymous. This exhibition was visited by children from gymnasium No. 2 in Vladivostok, and Elena held a lively author's meeting with them.
Poletaeva's works clearly show the growth of her skill as an artist. She chooses controversial themes for her paintings, never stopping at the difficulties of conveying meaning. Elena boldly uses non-standard compositional solutions to enhance the emotional impact of her paintings. For each painting she looks for a different way to realize the idea and works with different materials. In her opinion, an artist’s work should be meaningful; one cannot limit oneself to one proven technique. Therefore, visitors to Elena’s exhibitions often think that “many artists worked here” and are surprised at the versatility of her works. Due to the variety and complexity of the themes raised, viewers are often surprised that these works were created by a woman. But this is exactly what the artist strives for: to overcome the limitations of perception, to go beyond established patterns.
Since 2011, Elena Poletaeva has been a member of the Professional Union of Artists of Russia. In 2020, she received category 5B for active exhibition activities and publication in the book “109 Stratagems. Chinese science of winning."

“Elena Poletaeva is an established artist with a clear mind and good imagination. It is difficult these days to find an artist who, in his young years, has already held 7 personal exhibitions and at the same time continues to experiment with materials. People of various social classes find their thoughts reflected in her paintings, and this is especially valuable for the artist. In the paintings of the “Chinese Stratagems” series, Elena showed that she is able to convey to the viewer the culture and philosophy of another country, to see in the national something that is important for any person in the world. She achieved success in working with watercolors and multi-figure compositions, combining detail and lightness in her paintings.”
(V.I. Serov)

Elena Poletaeva’s works differ from other artists not so much in the author’s handwriting , how many topics she takes on. Her works contain echoes of oriental wisdom, symbolism and even surrealism.

“Elena’s paintings are windows into the world of a person who acutely and vividly senses changes in the surrounding reality. Her works show a unique image of a person who perceives the world through the eyes of an adult and a child at the same time. The characters in the paintings are driven by genuine curiosity, an unquenchable thirst for something new. This is not just a world of change and fluctuation, it is a world of awareness and understanding.”
(Semyon Klimovsky at the opening of the exhibition “Non-Children's Drawings”)

One of her favorite materials is watercolor, which combines ease of perception and complexity of execution. The series of paintings “Chinese Stratagems” was executed using this technique. In these works, the artist combines Chinese and European painting traditions: “fast” watercolor and a more meticulous, graphic Western style.

“Echoes of oriental wisdom, symbolism and even surrealism - for the art of Elena Poletaeva there are no genre boundaries, which fully corresponds to the modern stage of development of fine art. The skills of a draftsman and colorist are revealed through stories about Ancient China. This is a gentle touch to the exotic and the gaze of an interested observer from the outside.”
(Uteva O., art history portal “Parnas”)

Elena is not limited to paintings on a plane, she tries different ways of displaying her ideas : installations, literature, sculpture and virtual space. Participates in the visual art festival “Start” (Vladivostok, 2016), where he makes a video installation with his video projected onto a sculpture.
Using her design skills, Elena created several sets of postcards. In the collections “Ghosts of Vladivostok” and “The Spirit of Millionka” she combined the history and modernity of Vladivostok, its everyday life and holidays, significant social and cultural phenomena, fantasy and reality. The favorite painting of city residents, “Vladivostok Breakfast,” in which the artist accurately depicted the spirit of the city by the sea, was scattered in the form of postcards to different parts of the world.
In 2020, Elena worked on creating a multi-figure historical monument in the village. Livadia, dedicated to the pioneers and discoverers of the Vostok Gulf. In 2022, she participated in the ecological land art project “Whale Village”, where, together with volunteers from different schools, she created the kinetic installation “Medusa”. The installation was developed jointly with Semyon Klimovsky and was a sculpture in the form of a scarlet jellyfish rotating under the influence of the wind, symbolizing freedom and beauty. The peculiarity of this structure is that it was created from plywood, and not from metal like most such structures. In the collective exhibition “Messages of Insects” (Vladivostok), Poletaeva exhibited the highly social installation “Puppets”, in which, with the help of a giant spider and paper insects, she showed the problems ofthe intensity of society.

Whatever technique Elena takes on, she raises complex philosophical questions in her works. At Poletaeva's exhibitions, heated discussions took place on a variety of topics, ranging from contemporary art to the purpose of man and his place in the world.
She tried different ways of communicating with the viewer: through paintings, texts and blogging. But the popular way of letting people into “behind the scenes of the creative process” was not close to her:

“It’s probably bad (for promotion) that I’m a fairly private person and it’s difficult for me to share the stages of my work. It’s important for me to remain myself, although I understand people’s desire to look into an artist’s studio. Everyone wants to know how something is created from nothing. Still, I feel that if you include outsiders in the process from the very beginning, it will affect the final result. I don’t want to chase popularity, just to satisfy my own ambitions.”
(from the artist’s diary)

Philosophy for Elena is an applied science. Her paintings are often called too complex because they pose a question without providing an answer. But that’s the essence of creativity - it is not always able to change people’s lives for the better, but art gives hope that this change is possible.
The “Totem” project in 2018 can also be called philosophical. The Totem exhibition is a reflection on our relationship with technology, the environment and, ultimately, ourselves. Elena Poletaeva uses all materials available to her as a contemporary artist: from traditional painting to 3D printing. The author calls for taking a step from a person frightened by technological progress to a person consciously armed with technology. She believes that the discoveries and opportunities that come with the development of civilization can be compared to the totems of the past. The person himself decides how to use them and where to direct them.
Therefore, Poletaeva is meaningfully studying new tools for creating visual images, without fear that artificial intelligence and neural networks will completely replace the work of writers and artists. In her opinion, a person who has something to say to this world will find a way to do it faster and better. But those who are not able to create something new will not be able to forever copy and combine ready-made solutions; this is what machines are needed for.
One of the most significant exhibitions in the artist’s bibliography is “Chinese stratagems through the eyes of a Russian artist.” It took place in 2014 at the art museum of contemporary art “Artetazh” in Vladivostok. The exhibition included 22 paintings and was dedicated to “Chinese tricks of warfare.” The main idea of the collection was that it is possible to learn to overcome any difficulties in life in the most effective way, while avoiding big losses. The exhibition was held in collaboration with the Confucius Institute in Vladivostok. The opening of the exhibition was attended by Ms. Li Xiaobing, Deputy Consul of the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Khabarovsk. After the exhibition, a large report was released on the TNT channel and a news report on Chinese Xinhua Television, which was shown in China and Australia.
The path to completing the collection was long and winding. Poletaeva participated in collective exhibitions, worked and traveled, continuing to create new images.
Elena is currently working on the Chinese Stratagems project and writing an art book with illustrations. Whatever Poletaeva does, in any activity she strives to correspond to her mission:

“The main thing in an artist’s work is the theme, and not the development of a specific technique of execution. If there is an idea in the work, then it should serve as the key to learning a new technology for its implementation, and not vice versa. Of course, the skill of execution and emotional presentation are important. This can always be achieved if you have the desire to express yourself and show your slice of reality.

I believe that painting is a powerful tool for conveying information. Visual images can be understood by any inhabitant of the planet, even without knowledge of the language. Therefore, we must strive to make art international and accessible to everyone, regardless of age and gender. I want people to find hidden qualities in themselves and draw conclusions with the help of my paintings; were able to safely face their fears and overcome difficulties; developed intellectually and spiritually to become the best version of ourselves.”


Elena Poletaeva’s paintings are divided into thematic collections, such as “Fractures of Consciousness”, “Not Childish Drawings”, “Good and Bad Habits”, “Signs”, “Strange Landscapes”, “Chinese” stratagems.”

Elena Poletaeva participated in collective exhibitions and competitions, but she places the main emphasis in her activities on personal projects.

Exhibition activities:

Personal exhibition “Plein Air”.
Library named after Fadeev. Vladivostok. 1998

Exhibition “Teacher and Students”.
House-Museum named after. Sukhanov, Vladivostok. 2007