bio

Elena Nikolaeva is a video and performance artist whose work traces fragments of emotional intensity and desire for connection.

Working primarily with video, saturated color, and temporal dislocation, Elena captures the emotional residue of time passing—weaving scenes within a public yet intimate digital space where vulnerability and self-recognition are preserved.

Elena holds a BFA in Graphic Design and a Bachelor in Education from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Her background includes theater and improvisational training at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga, The Contemporary Theater Company (Wakefield, Rhode Island), the AND Theater (NYC), and with Improv Chattanooga. Drawing on this foundation, she has taught workshops in Applied Improvisation focusing on deepened connection with ourselves and others.

Her work has been exhibited in group shows including the Anything Goes Show at Clearstory Arts, the Salon Show and the Macro/Micro Show at AVA (Association for Visual Artists) in Chattanooga in 2025 & 2026.

Elena shares her practice through her Instagram profile, where documentation becomes a way to hold reality together while navigating grief, connection, and becoming.

Elena lives and works in Chattanooga, Tennessee.