We are thrilled to introduce to you Elena Shchukina – Gallery owner and art curator.
« From the days she chose to study law in Russia, to today, with her gallery Elena Shchukina has always been a champion of the underdog. The raison d’etre of Gallery Elena Shchukina today is to make art more accessible to a wider audience and create a venue that supports some of the most exciting emerging international contemporary artists who have never before exhibited in the UK.
After qualifying as a lawyer, she decided against a career in the courtroom, choosing instead to take a leap of faith and pursue her passion for art. She went back to school and studied at the Moscow Design Academy before moving to Milan and London, where she enrolled in various art business courses through the Christie’s and Sotheby’s auction houses.
« I studied law because my parents advised me to do so, and while I chose not to pursue as a career, it was a great decision. Law is a vary multilateral subject. which has provided me with valuable skills and knowledge that I found useful for establishing an art business as well. I made the move into art so that I could focus my passion and creativity into something that I could produce. » She says.
Growing up in Siberia presents challenges of its own; it is a brutal landscape, forcing one to build a thick skin. This most definitely prepared Elena for a career in the arts; a historically male dominated elite world, where women, to this day continue to be under-represented. Her ultimate dream was always to open an art gallery in London, undoubtedly the global hub of the international art world. However, this came with its own challenges, the first of which was establishing herself in an already crowded art scene. To get a head start, she curated three exhibitions in other locations before ever opening the doors to Gallery Elena Shchukina in 2013.
Success hasn’t been guaranteed for Elena, and she made the decision to close another of her galleries, in London’s Knightsbridge district. However, she made the most of this situation, her Mayfair gallery was selected to headline Russian Art Week in November 2014.
Today, the Gallery frequently participates in a number of international art fairs, including the London Art Fair, Masterpiece, START and Art Bahrain. Her vision for the gallery combines a love of the technique of creation coupled with a passionate interest in colour and texture and as well as conventional art, she regularly hosts exhibition evenings, displaying the latest masterpieces from the world of fashion and jewellery.
Outside of her gallery work, Elena is a member of AWAD; the Association of Women Art Dealers and a Patron of both the Royal Academy of Arts and Victoria & Albert Museum. Through these associations, her position and influence within the art world has continued to grow and she has established a network and profile that has gone a long way to raise the profile of previously under-represented or under-appreciated artists.
A young mother with two children, she has a passion for philanthropy and especially believes in the importance of providing underprivileged children with the opportunity to access art and art education, partnering with Action for Children to host several charity events at the gallery. »
www.elenashchukina.com