Artist Statement

I have been painting for as long as I can remember. I’m drawn to creating a sense of harmony through light and movement, and many of my works grow from plein air sketches. My paintings celebrate the vibrancy and rich diversity of Australia, expressed through a distinctive lyrical style that blends reality with fantasy. There’s a quiet echo of magic realism, a 20th‑century literary genre, in my approach. If you look closely, you might find something magical within the most ordinary settings. I seek resonant concepts in everyday scenes, exploring local landscapes through unexpected placements of colour and tone. My practice is experimental: I work across gouache, oil, watercolour and pastel to move beyond purely representational techniques. More about my work and artistic journey can be found at www.elenachurilova.com.

Biography

Russian born Elena Churilova is an award-winning artist working with oils, pastels and watercolours. Her work is intuitive and inspired. In 2006 Elena Churilova moved from Russia to Australia as a qualified professional. Inspired by the local scenery, she returned to her passion, painting in a range of various mediums and techniques (oil, pastel, gouache and watercolour) in a style which combines reality and fantasy. Her works reside in private collections in Europe, Australia, USA and Russia.

Influences

I was brought up and trained as an artist within the traditions of the Russian school of art. Here in Australia, I deeply admire the artists of the Heidelberg School.

Awards

2026: - Winner of the 2026 Percival Portrait Painting Prize, Townsville, QLD - Selected as a contestant in Portrait Artist of the Year (Australia) - Season 2, a national competition produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Sydney - Included into the Australian Team of 10 Artists selected to represent Australia at the 2026 FabrianoInAcquarello Watercolour Expo in Bologna, Italy 2025: - Winner (1st Place in Easel Works category) in the Brigalow Arts Festival, Biloela, QLD - Winner (1st Place in Portrait Prize) of the Hunter Valley Operations Prize, Singleton Art Prize, Singleton, NSW - Winner (2nd Place) in the United Wambo Glencore Still Life Prize, Singleton Art Prize, Singleton, NSW - Winner (2nd Place in Works on Paper category) in the Woollam Art Prize, Mackay, QLD - Winner of Peoples’ Choice Award at the Facets Live Portrait Competition, Toowoomba, QLD - Highly Commended award in the national Doyles Art Award 2025, Mudgeeraba (Gold Coast), QLD - Commended in the EKKA Royal Queensland Show 2025 (class Seascapes, Painting & Drawing Competition), Brisbane, QLD - Finalist ('Best 30 paintings') in the Australian Watercolour Muster Biennale Exhibition 2025, Cairns, QLD 2024: - Winner of the Burnie Smith Memorial Award (Works on paper) in the Brigalow Arts Festival, Banana Shire Regional Gallery, Biloela, QLD - Highly Commended in the EKKA Royal Queensland Show 2024 (class Traditional Watercolour, Painting & Drawing Competition), Brisbane, QLD - Winner of the Major Prize in the Bentley Art Prize 2024 (The Richmond Dairies Australian Landscape Acquisitive Painting Prize), Bentley, NSW - Winner of the Richmond Valley Council Acquisition Painting Prize in the Bentley Art Prize 2024, Bentley, NSW - Winner of Dr Castagna Acquisition Portrait Drawing Prize in the Bentley Art Prize 2024, Bentley, NSW - Winner of the Richmond Regional Library Acquisition Prize in the Bentley Art Prize 2024, Bentley, NSW - Category winner (2nd place) in two categories in the Annual Art Awards, Bauhinia Bicentennial Art Gallery, Springsure, QLD - Category winner (2nd place) in the Singleton Art Prize, Singleton, NSW - Highly Commended in the CasinoRSM Club Acquisition Painting Prize, Bently, NSW - Highly Commended in the Singleton Art Prize, Singleton, NSW 2023: Finalist in The Elaine Bermingham National Watercolour Prize in Landscape Painting, Griffith University’s Queensland College of Art (QCA), Brisbane 2021: - Merit Award in the Central Highlands Annual Art Awards, Emerald, QLD - Highly Commended in the Central Highlands Annual Art Awards, Emerald, QLD - Highly Commended in the Bauhinia Bicentennial Art Gallery Awards, Springsure, QLD 2020: - Winner of the Pamela Whitlock Memorial Acquisitive Award in the 45th Rio Tinto Martin Hanson Memorial Art Awards, Gladstone, QLD - Winner of the Moore Australia Acquisition Award in the Brigalow Arts Festival, Biloela, QLD - Highly Commended in the Central Highlands Annual Art Awards, Emerald, QLD 2019: - Category Winner in the Central Highlands Annual Art Awards, Emerald, - Category Winner in the Annual Art Awards, Bauhinia Bicentennial Art Gallery, Springsure, QLD - Category Winner in the 43rd Annual Art Competition and Exhibition, Blackwater, QLD - Highly commended in the Blackall Cultural Association's Annual Art Exhibition & Competition, Blackall, QLD 2018: - Winner of the Central Highlands Regional Council Acquisitive Art Award, Emerald, QLD - Category Winner in the 42nd Annual Art Competition and Exhibition, Blackwater - Category Winner in the Brigalow Arts Festival, Biloela, QLD - Highly Commended in the Central Highlands Annual Art Awards, Emerald, QLD 2017: - Special Merit Category Winner at the 7th International "Figurative" Art Exhibition (April 2017), Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery

Exhibitions

Personal exhibitions: 2026 SEASCAPES, Australia Gallery, Cairns, Queensland 2025 IDENTITIES, Gatekers Artspace (sponsored by Fraser Coast Regional Council), Maryborough, Queensland WINTER SOLSTICE, Benevolent Living's Long Gallery, Rockhampton, Queensland SEASONS OF THE ETERNAL SUMMER, Gallery 107, Dalby, Queensland 2023 EVERYWHEN, Fig Trees Galleries, Yeppoon (hosted by Keppel Coast Arts Council), Queensland 2022 TO AUSTRALIA WITH LOVE, Emerald Art Gallery (sponsored by Central Highlands Regional Council), Queensland 2022 MEMORIES AND DREAMS, Art Gallery 49, Maleny, Queensland 2021 MIRAGES AND ILLUSIONS, Gladstone Regional Art Gallery and Museum (sponsored by Gladstone Regional Council), Queensland 2019 OVERTURE, Emerald Art Gallery (sponsored by Central Highlands Regional Council), Queensland 2018 COLOURS OF CAPRICORN, Kern Arcade, Rockhampton (sponsored by Rockhampton Regional Council), Queensland 2017 COLOURS OF ROCKHAMPTON, Kern Arcade, Rockhampton (sponsored by Rockhampton Regional Council), Queensland 2017 ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROCKHAMPTON, Rockhampton Art Gallery (sponsored by Rockhampton Regional Council), Queensland

Website

www.elenachurilova.com