BIOGRAPHY
Jenya Datsko recontextualises the tradition of portraiture through a deeply introspective and poetic lens. Her ethereal compositions portray invented female figures who, while anonymous, symbolise collective resilience and emotional depth. These imagined women exist as metaphors–for solitude, for strength, and for the complex, often contradictory, dimensions of contemporary womanhood. Positioned in liminal or intimate spaces, they appear suspended in thought, their quiet presence challenging the expectation of performance in the act of being seen.
Working primarily with soft, colour palette, Datsko captures a nuanced emotional palette–melancholy, reflection, tenderness-through a restrained yet expressive approach. Her scenes evoke a kind of contemplative stillness, with figures often appearing in silence or isolation. Rather than loneliness, this solitude becomes a form of liberation: a moment where identity is felt rather than declared. This recurring motif creates a quietly subversive thread in her work, inviting viewers to witness without intrusion.
Influenced by poetry, literature, and classical music, Datsko’s paintings are shaped by an inner world where references surface subtly, more sensed than stated. She also draws from real-life encounters, distilling the fleeting gestures, postures, and interactions she observes in everyday life–moments that might otherwise go unnoticed. These impressions, refracted through her personal perspective, are then woven into her imaginary subjects.
There is an emotional honesty in Datsko’s work-rooted not in biography, but in shared human experience. Each canvas becomes an invitation into a suspended moment, offering the viewer space to linger, feel, and interpret. The worlds she creates are as much about internal landscapes as they are about the physical or pictorial space, opening up a dialogue between the seen and the felt.
Born in 1991 and currently based in Valencia, Spain, Jenya Datsko studied Art and Illustration at Escuela Superior de Arte y Tecnología ESAT and GAIA Centro de Estudios de Arte. Her work has been exhibited internationally, with recent solo exhibitions in Madrid, New York, Shenzhen and London. Datsko’s practice has received critical attention in Harper’s Bazaar, where her paintings were featured on the cover of the September 2023 issue. In 2024, Datsko’s work was featured at Contemporary Istanbul and Future Fair New York.
SOLO SHOWS
2025
Short Stories – Gillian Jason Gallery – London, UK
Her Unlocked Suitcase – Corridor Foundation – Shenzhen, China
2024
Crossroads – Gillian Jason Gallery – London, UK
Future Fair (Art fair) solo booth – New York, US
2023
Una historia en palabras nunca dichas – Vlab Gallery – Madrid, Spain
GROUP SHOWS
2025
Untitled Art Fair – Miami, USA
Beyond The Corporeal Existence – Art Works Singapore, Singapore
The many within her – Gillian Jason Gallery, London, UK
2024
To tips of the Rabbits Fur – 11 Contemporary Art Center, Shenzhen, China
Art Shenzhen (Art fair) – Shenzhen, China
Contemporary Istanbul (Art Fair) – Istanbul, Turkey
Feminitivas – G. Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
Future Fair – New York, USA
Embrace me in your arms – 11 Contemporary Art Center, Shenzhen, China
2023
Artlife Fest 2023 – Moscow, Russia
LAPADA (Art Fair) – Gillian Jason Gallery, London, UK
Face to Face 2 – Gillian Jason Gallery, London UK
Eye of the Collector (Art Fair) – Gillian Jason Gallery, London, UK
Eve Presents 3 – Eve Leibe Gallery, London, UK
2022
Artlife Fest 2022 – Moscow, Russia
2021
Every Women biennial – London, UK
RESIDENCIES
2025 Soho Revue Residency · London, UK
LINKS