Yelena Lev is a multidisciplinary artist and graphic designer based in Los Angeles, California. Born in Minsk, Belarus in 1967, her journey from Eastern Europe to the American West Coast—by way of several formative years in the Netherlands—deeply informs her artistic voice. Her work reflects a rich fusion of cultural memory, spiritual reflection, and personal transformation.
Lev holds an M.A. in Architecture from the Belarusian State Academy of Architecture and a B.A. in Painting from California State University, Northridge. Her architectural background lends her artwork a strong sense of spatial composition, structural rhythm, and conceptual depth. This foundation allows her to construct layered visual worlds—both imagined and emotional—where form and meaning exist in constant dialogue.
Living in the Netherlands further shaped her artistic perspective, immersing her in a European art culture steeped in both classical tradition and contemporary experimentation. The Dutch emphasis on clarity, atmosphere, and introspection continues to echo in her work, inspiring a refined balance between stillness and expressive depth.
Lev’s paintings often merge elements of surrealism with poetic symbolism, conjuring serene yet mysterious dreamscapes. In The Revival, floating spheres and symmetrical rock formations suggest a mystical portal, a sacred passage between dimensions. In JC, two abstracted fish emerge against a mountainous backdrop, evoking early Christian iconography through a minimalist, contemporary lens.
Lev has exhibited across the United States and internationally, including at the Laguna Art-A-Fair – Laguna Beach, California; MuzeO Carnegie Gallery – Anaheim, California; Covet Art Gallery – Carlsbad, California; The Studio Door Art Gallery – San Diego, California; The Lancaster Museum of Art and History MOAH – Lancaster, California; Las Laguna Art Gallery – Laguna Beach, California; Azziart Gallery LA – Los Angeles, California; Lark Gallery – Los Angeles, California; Santa Ana College Main Art Gallery – Santa Ana, California; Art Scene West Gallery – San Diego, California; Newport Beach Cultural Center – Newport Beach, California; Thousand Oaks Art Gallery – Newberry Park, California; Bezoek Abraham Art – Rotterdam, Netherlands; Pacific Design Center Museum of Contemporary Art MOCA – Los Angeles, California; Palace of Art – Minsk, Belarus; and more…
Her creative process is deeply intuitive and introspective. “Each piece is a conversation,” she shares. “I rework and refine until the artwork speaks clearly to me—sometimes that means starting over completely.”
Lev’s work continues to resonate with international audiences at Arte Contemporanea in Lecce, Italy, where Dissimilarity and Ethereal Reverie were recently exhibited. This marks a celebrated appearing to a international stage that has previously embraced her vision. Her pieces—including Confession, Guardians of the Veil, Voyage, The Revival, and Ethereal Reverie—are also featured on ArtScreenTV, an official partner and sponsor of the renowned Florence Biennale. In 2025, her art will again be presented at the Florence Biennale (October 18–26, Florence, Italy) and showcased at the prestigious Art Basel in Basel, Switzerland—continuing her enduring presence on the world’s most esteemed art platforms.
This diverse academic background underlies her work, which often explores themes of transition and metamorphosis. She has participated in numerous exhibitions and her works are part of public and private collections including Balmoral Castle, Amalienborg Palace and more…
Through her evolving body of work, Lev invites viewers into a meditative space of transformation—where the architectural meets the ethereal, and the personal merges with the universal.
As a contemporary artist, I strive to capture and interpret the essence of the present age, reflecting the world around me through my own perceptions, emotions, and thoughts. While I primarily work with traditional painting media such as oil and acrylic, I also incorporate modern textures to bring depth and dimension to my pieces. My art is a personal lens through which I organize and reimagine reality, offering a unique perspective that is distinctly my own.
Yelena Lev is a member of OCCCA (Orange County Center for Contemporary Art), the Westlake Village Art Guild, member of Laguna Art-a-Fair, an honored member of the The Belarusian Union of Artists (since 1996).