Kharkiv is located in the North east part of Ukraine. It’s a big historically rich city. Its actively being bombed as I write this. There hasn’t been a day yet since February 24, 2022 in which Kharkiv has not been shelled by russians. Kharkiv is a city with lots of universities, a lot of young people go to Kharkiv to study and fall in love with its eclectic beauty and stay to live there. Since it’s a university rich city - it’s a culturally rich place, lots of international students from the whole world live and study there. Kharkiv is a sister city of Cincinnati, I got to see it in its full flourished glory when I visited it in 2019, this is when this painting was born. There is no other city like Kharkiv – busy, eclectic, fast, culturally and educationally rich, beautiful. Victory to Ukraine!

Biography

Ellina Chetverikova was born in the little town of Severodonetsk in Luganskaya region, Ukraine in 1989. Her love of painting and drawing had developed very early in life. She was always drawn to represent her surrounding world and always loved drawing and painting from life.  Ellina had an opportunity to study art since she was 13 years old in the Children’s Art School of Severodonetsk. While studying in Ukraine she won many art competitions and during one of them was awarded to travel to create plein air works to Sandomir, Poland.

She moved to the United States as an exchange student to pursue her education in Arts. Ellina got her BFA from Art Academy of Cincinnati, OH in 2012 and her MFA from Rochester Institute of Technology, NY in 2014. Ellina had shown her work nationally and internationally. She was awarded a year-long residency at Manifest Gallery in 2016, and Jentel Residency in 2020. Ellina is currently living and creating in Cincinnati, OH.

Artist Statement

My painting practice is deeply grounded in the observation from life. It is an endless practice of experiencing, observing, filtering, and appreciating my surroundings. With my latest work of landscapes done with gouache I experience deep responsibility in representing every sunset/twilight I see. It is an immense privilege to be able to experience an amazing event such as sunset and sunrise. This natural wonder happens everyday, however we never know which of these sunsets/twilights will be the last one we see. Let’s continue looking and seeing all together.