Yelena Maksutay

Born in 1981 in Switzerland, Yelena Maksutay currently lives and works in Vienna and Zurich. She began her professional career in graphic design and later earned her Master of Arts (Mag.art.) in Fine Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in 2022. She shifted her artistic focus towards drawing and video performance art after an exploration of painting. In her drawings, she intricately examines the human body, pushing its boundaries through repetitive actions and exploring its relationship with space. These large-scale drawings encapsulate the core principles of her artistic practice. In her socio-political video works, she delves into fundamental aspects of human behavior and identity.

Collection Wien Museum Public Collection

Artist in Residence Yuka Yugetsu, Noko Island, Fukuoka, Japan: March 27th to May 24th, 2024

Group exhibitions 2024 Lovers in Heaven, Außenstelle Kunst, Vienna, Austria
2016 – 2022 Rundgang, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Vienna, Austria
2022 BO TH, studio glockengasse 8a, Vienna, Austria
2020 #JapanRevistied202x: then–now–after, Austrian Cultural Forum Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
2019 All Paper Show, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Vienna, Austria
2019 Open Studio, studio das weisse haus, Vienna, Austria
2018 Schilling, Mark, Dollar, Euro und… Geld in der Kunst, Kunst im Traklhaus, Salzburg, Austria
2013 Of course, no color without light, Box43, Zurich, Switzerland
2013 DAS IST DAS HAUS am YIX, YIX, Vienna, Austria

Publications #JapanRevisited202x: THEN—NOW—AFTER, 2021
Schilling, Mark, Dollar, Euro und ... Geld in der Kunst, 2018

Awards Nominated: SIMACEK Art Award, 2023
Nominated: Preisjury Kunst, 2022. The Art Prize Jury awards annual prizes for artistic diploma/final theses.
XAVER, The Swiss Award for Excellence in Live Communication, 2009
Association SWISS MEDIA, Competition for Young Creatives, “Das kann nur ein Inserat”, 2005