Elena Tomilova
b. 1986
Elena Tomilova’s artistic practice unfolds within a permeable territory between figuration and abstraction, where the human body becomes simultaneously form, symbol, and a field of affective projection. At the core of this approach lies the female figure – not as a fixed archetype, but as a living, shifting process shaped by subtle tensions between strength and vulnerability, intimacy and exposure, interiority and physical presence.
The artist’s visual language is constructed through a deliberate economy of form, in which simplified contours and intensely charged color fields generate a direct, unmediated expressivity. Her saturated palette – marked by contrasts between cool tones and incandescent, vibrating accents – does not describe the world but emotionally rearticulates it. Colors seem to erupt from within the forms, producing an energy that pulses beyond the pictorial surface. In this sense, painting becomes a space of mediation between the visible and the invisible, between what is revealed and what remains latent.
Tomilova’s compositions often evoke states of withdrawal, shelter, or fusion – self-contained presences, figures in embrace, or bodies placed in symbolic relation to domestic space or archetypal elements. These structures are not to be read narratively, but rather as condensed states, where every gesture, every inclination of the body becomes a bearer of meaning.
The relationships between figures – whether implicit or direct – unfold within a register of fertile ambiguity. Proximity does not guarantee communication, and distance does not preclude connection. Gestures, almost archaic in their simplicity, acquire profound symbolic weight: touch, suspension, support, or surrender become codes of a universal emotional grammar.
In her work, the body emerges as an autonomous language – fragmented yet coherent – capable of expressing psychological states that elude linear discourse. Anatomy is not bound to descriptive fidelity but to symbolic reconstruction. Elongated limbs, slowed gestures, and gazes detached from context suggest a dilated, almost ritualistic temporality. The artist deliberately distances herself from realism in order to privilege a form of affective truth, where proportions are governed by emotional intensity rather than physical laws. This controlled deformation does not destabilize the figure but liberates it.
An essential element in understanding her visual sensibility is her parallel practice in circus arts, initiated in 2017. This experience profoundly informs her perception and representation of the body – not as a static object, but as an entity in a constant, precarious balance between tension and grace. Movement, even when implied within stillness, becomes a latent dimension of the painting.
Tomilova’s work thus situates itself within the tradition of contemporary expressionism, which privileges interiority as the primary space of experience, articulating a visual discourse in which meaning is not imposed but emerges – activated through the direct encounter with the viewer.
Education
2016–2018 – Master’s Degree (Cycle II), “Ion Creangă” State Pedagogical University, Painting (prof. V. Fisticanu)
2004–2008 – Academy of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts, Painting (prof. I. Serbinov)
2002–2004 – Children’s Art School “A. Șciusev”
Professional Affiliations
since 2025 –Trainee Member of the Union of Visual Artists of the Republic of Moldova
Solo Exhibitions
2025 – “Roots of Light”, Museum of History of Chișinău, Chișinău
2025 – “Duet”, P. Armonese & E. Tomilova, Art Elite Gallery, Bucharest
2025 – “30×30”, Dulce Hanna Café, Chișinău
2025 – “New Life”, “I. Mangher” Library, Chișinău
2024 – “Summer Dreams”, Europe Café, Chișinău
2023 – “River.Border”, Oberliht, Zpațiu, Zemstvei Museum, Chișinău
2023 – “River”, Accolada, Dubăsari
2021 – “Fairytale Every Day”, Cartego Art Space, Chișinău
2016 – “African Experience”, Alliance Française, Bamako
2012 – “Eclectics”, Art-Labyrinth, Chișinău
2010 – “Myth-Creation”, National Philharmonic, Chișinău
2009 – “Frames”, Library of Arts, Chișinău
2007 – “Under the Blue Sky”, Dubăsari Art Gallery
Group Exhibitions
2026 – “Winter Saloon”, Europe Gallery, Union of Artists of Romania, Brașov, Romania
2025 – “Kunst.Geschenkt”, Kunstwerkstube, Baden, Switzerland
2025 – “Te salut, Chișinău”, “Constantin Brâncuși” Exhibition Center, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova
2025 – “Symbolic & Gestalt”, Kunstwerkstube, Baden, Switzerland
2025 – “Moldova are Artă”, Museum of History of Chișinău, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova
2025 – “Art de Suisse”, Kornschütte, Lucerne, Switzerland
2025 – “Zwischen Traum und Wirklichkeit”, Kunstwerkstube, Baden, Switzerland
2025 – “Weibliche Kraftfelder – Kunst im Zeichen der Frau”, Kunstwerkstube, Baden, Switzerland
2024 – “Winter Lights”, Kunstwerkstube, Baden, Switzerland
2024 – “Moldova Art Week”, Artcor, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova
2024 – “Die Kunst des Lebens”, Kunstwerkstube, Baden, Switzerland
2024 – “Lightroom”, Rossart Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland
2024 – “Art de Suisse”, Kornschütte, Lucerne, Switzerland
2024 – Art de Suisse, Lucerne, Switzerland
2024 – Spring Salon, “Constantin Brâncuși” Exhibition Center, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova
2024 – Culture Day Exhibition (Union of Artists of Romania), Europe Gallery, Brașov, Romania
2023 – Winter Salon, Brașov, Romania
2023 – Blue Biennale, Brașov, Romania
2023 – “Future Stars”, The Holy Art Gallery, London, UK
2023 – Biennale di Versilia, Versilia, Italy
2023 – “The Holy Art Fair”, The Holy Art Gallery, London, UK
2023 – “Feminity”, Europe Gallery, Brașov, Romania
2022 – “Nowadays”, Florence Contemporary Gallery, Florence, Italy
2022 – “Fragility of Life”, Spazio Temporary, Venice, Italy
2022 – “Between Fantasy and Reality”, Merlino Gallery, Florence, Italy
2022 – “More Than Body” (artist and curator), Cartego Art Space, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova
2022 – “Icon”, Boomer Gallery, London, UK
2022 – “Paint the Peace”, Artcor, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova
2021 – “City’s Dreams”, Venice, Italy