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There’s a softness in the way she holds herself — an elegance that doesn’t ask for attention, but receives it effortlessly.
Olena Donenko is a woman who moves through the world like poetry: composed, luminous, and quietly fearless. With her timeless beauty and soul rooted in artistry, she doesn’t just travel across countries—she travels inward, collecting fragments of experience and turning them into something visual, something sonic, something unforgettable. In this conversation, Olena invites us into her evolving journey—one of rediscovery, creativity, and a tender rebellion against anything that limits the soul.
Your journey began on March 1st, 2024, with a family trip to Italy. What changed along the way?
What began as a simple, gentle escape — just two weeks in Italy with my family — unexpectedly became the beginning of something much greater. After Italy, I continued on to India, and one evening, walking alone along the shore in Goa, I felt something stir inside me. A quiet voice, a sudden longing—to see America. I’ve always had a love for movement, for the unknown, for letting life unfold without too much planning. I thought I’d visit for a few weeks, explore the iconic cities, then move on. But sometimes, places choose us. America did. And I stayed.
What was it about America that spoke to your soul?
It wasn’t just the landmarks or the names of cities—it was something invisible, something between the lines. The energy, the rhythm, the wide skies and quiet mornings. There was a feeling of beginning again, of rediscovering parts of myself I thought I had lost. I came here as a guest. I stayed because I fell in love—with the land, with the pace, with who I was becoming here.
You’ve said that creativity left you during the war. How did it find its way back?
When the war began, something inside me shut down. I couldn’t sing, couldn’t paint—it all felt too far from the reality I was living. There was so much pain, and beauty felt fragile, even misplaced. But here, in this new space, I slowly felt myself breathing differently. My hands began to reach for brushes again. My camera became an extension of how I see the world. I started creating not out of ambition, but out of need—out of a soft, healing desire to make something gentle and honest. Now I’m painting, capturing stories through fashion photography, and writing music again—in a new language, in a new tone. It’s a rebirth, and I’m grateful for it.
Tell us about your creative philosophy now, especially through your photography brand.
My brand is called “24/7,” because I believe beauty never sleeps. It’s always there—in a look, in a shadow, in the way light hits a stranger’s shoulder. For me, art is no longer a performance. It’s presence. It’s the choice to see beauty where others rush past it. Whether through a song, a photo, a painting—I create to celebrate the poetry of real life. Even when it’s quiet. Even when it hurts.
If you could whisper one truth to the world about who you are now, what would you say? \
I am a woman who listens to intuition, who follows wonder, who chooses beauty not as decoration—but as a way of being. I am here to create it, live in it, and share it—with open hands, every day.