Elena Volkova was born and raised in Kiev, Ukraine, and she moved to the U.S. in 1994. She earned two degrees from the Maryland Institute College of Art: a MFA in Studio Arts as well as a BFA in Photography.
Elena's work has been exhibited in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., New York, Philadelphia, Illinois, and Virginia. In 2008, she had a solo exhibition of photographs and drawings at the Paperwork Gallery in Baltimore, titled "Waterlines". The exhibit addressed the ephemeral nature of water and presented fleeting images of water waves, clouds, and snow. "Airscapes", an exhibit at the Flashpoint gallery in DC in 2008, presented a collection of large-scale prints of barely perceptible images of clouds.
Elena's current body of work focuses on the idea of liminal space, as well as legibility, or the limited amount of information that is needed for a viewer to identify a subject. It also addresses the viewer's awareness of boundaries and their interaction with an art space.
She has received several recognitions and awards, including the Janis Meyer Traveling Fellowship, which allowed her to photograph remote areas of Russia in 2003.
Volkova resides in Baltimore, MD. She teaches art at Seton Keough High School, and an adjunct Photography professor at Goucher College.