Olena
Kulishova

Bio

Helena Kulishova (b. Kharkiv, Ukraine, 1969) is an artist with over 30 years of experience in fine arts and design. She graduated from the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts (1989–1994) and completed postgraduate studies there (PhD minimum, thesis work in progress). Her specialization is painting and graphics.

Since 2022, she has lived and worked in Finland, where she has held personal exhibitions (Saved by Finland in Imatra, Espoo, and Järvenpää, 2022–2023) and co-created a large-scale immersive exhibition in Tampere (2023), visited by more than 25,000 people. She has participated in numerous international group exhibitions, including Two Horizons (Helsinki, 2024–2025), The Price of Peace (Helsinki, 2025), Endless War (The Hague, 2024), and Technophilia and a New Society (Helsinki, 2024).

Her practice includes murals and monumental art projects (Imatra Railway Station, 2023; Kontula Metro Station, Helsinki, 2024) as well as teaching workshops. She is a member of Ornamo (Finnish Design Association), Globe Art Point, and HIAA, and was named Person of the Year 2023.

Kulishova’s art explores the human spirit, nature, and historical parallels through symbolic, emotionally charged painting and graphics. She defines her artistic genre as “liminal optimism”—a futuristic vision that balances awareness of catastrophe with belief in humanity’s potential for harmony and renewal.

Her works are held in private collections in Ukraine and across Europe. She is also active in supporting Ukrainian culture in Finland through the cultural organizations Vozrozhdenie and Phoenix and initiatives such as Ukrainian Sundays and rehabilitation programs for families affected by war.

Based in Finland since summer 2022.