Born in 1955 in Tbilisi, Georgia, USSR, Elya demonstrated a passion and natural talent in the fine arts from a young age. His mother was a well-known impressionistic landscape painter and her artistic discipline and spirit of experimentation left lasting impressions on Elya as a young boy. He participated frequently in TV art programs and published his work in children’s magazines, continually meeting with enthusiastic responses. After graduating from the prestigious Tbilisi Academy of Art in 1979, Elya became more prolific and his art became more experimental.

Elya has been happy to settle in the heart of America’s Georgia, where he has planted roots—literally—in his elaborate garden and found powerful inspiration in the complex Southern landscapes and history. Elya has exhibited his work in Italy, the Ukraine and across the United States.