Ellaya Yefymova is a Ukrainian artist living and working in Kiev. She has a medical diploma and an unlimited love for science, art and the human body. Most of her paintings are made in assemblage technique that allows to engage multiple senses and to interact with the paintings physically.
Covid pandemic became a trigger for her art series “Paramedical reflections”. Now it consists of 8 paintings. Yefymova uses her creative ideas to convey to the viewer’s important aspects of human life related to health and threatening environmental pollution, in order to inspire people for a more conscious attitude to their bodies and their environment. Medical education has given her such knowledge that she wants to share since knowledge about the human body and the influence of different factors on it can qualitatively improve a person’s life and help to avoid many problems.
Yefymova’s focus is more on the ideas rather than certain technique, so she uses mixed media and non-art materials to express it in her artworks. She is always in search of new inspiration and senses.
Self-taught or art school?
Both, I guess. I graduated from art school and then I had a 2-year course in design in university, but it gave me only 10% of my knowledge and skills.
If you could own one work of art what would it be?
It would be “The Last Day of Pompeii” by Karl Bryullov. I saw this great painting 2 times during my trips to Saint Petersburg and both times I was delighted. Every time I see something new on it. I love its dramatic colours and the sense of sublime power of nature over man enhanced by the large size of the canvas.
How would you describe your style?
My style is to use all I can to express my ideas. It’s a mix of abstraction, assemblage and realism. I don’t want to be limited to one style.
Can you tell us about your artistic process?
My artistic process begins mostly in the bathroom)) It’s the best place for me to create ideas. Then I take a canvas and make a quick sketch. I like to make acrylic underpainting and backgrounds, but the main subject I often paint with oil. Such mixing of media allows to speed up all process and makes painting more contrasting. Also, I like to glue different objects to my paintings, because it creates some 3D effect and you can touch these objects or even see yourself in the glued mirror. I think it’s an interesting technique that allows me to state my idea better. Sometimes I create my idea around certain objects like it was with face masks. There were too many masks around me during the first lockdown last spring, so I’ve decided to use one for my painting.
Is narrative important within your work?
Yes, narrative is important for almost all of my paintings, because for example paintings from the art series “Paramedical reflections” are intended to inform people about different health-related issues.
Who are your favourite artists and why?
I have too many favourite artists! How can I choose? Some of them are Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (Raphael), Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Vasily Vereshchagin, Salvador Dali, Jono Dry (contemporary hyperrealist and surrealist).
What or who inspires your art?
People around me, my husband and irresistible inner desire to create something new and to interact with paints and brushes.
Where’s your studio and what’s it like?
My studio is half of the living room. I share it with my husband who is a music composer, so we have one creative studio in our flat.
Do you have any studio rituals?
Maybe I am a practical person, but I like to maximise all my time, so I listen to different audiobooks, educational podcasts etc while painting. However, sometimes I am so passionate about the process that I can not listen to anything except my favourite music. Also, I have a habit to drink pure water before I start to paint because I forget to drink while painting.
What are you working on currently?
Currently, I have several projects. I am taking a part in an NFT-related contest. Also, I have a series of ecological theme paintings in progress. And of course, I am in continuous search of new tools of expression and techniques.
Where can we buy your art?
If you’d like to buy my paintings, you are welcome to contact me through my website ellaya-art.com or Instagram @ellaya_art.
Also, you can buy some NFTs on https://mintable.app/u/ellaya, my NFT art notes (digital banknotes) on https://proof-of-love.com/account/feed/1944289/collection
