Elena Degenhardt is a Siberia-born contemporary German artist, living in France, best known for her immersive, colour intense, large scale waterscapes and underwater figurative works and emotionally charged portraits. She creates realistic paintings with an impressionistic touch in pastel, charcoal, oil, acrylic and mixed media. Her application of pastel and charcoal in a painterly way, often in washes, on unusual painting surfaces (including product packaging), while pushing the boundaries of these dry mediums, has brought her international recognition and awards.