Biography

Education

In 2000, Elena Lekus graduated from the St. Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design with a degree in history and theory of art. In 2013, she defended her PhD thesis in cultural studies and philosophy at Moscow University for the Humanities. Apart from that, she participated in a range of vocational training programs, including the program in the approaches to optical systems development (2015, ITMO University, Russia), Innovations in Teaching and Learning (2018, Oxford Brookes University, the UK), and Electronic and Information and Educational Environment at ITMO University (2019).

Career

Elena Lekus started her professional career in 1998 as a reporter at the New World of Art journal. From 2000 to 2012, she worked as an artist, culture expert, and curator at the creative association Creative Item Studio. In 2014, Elena Lekus was offered the position of an associate professor at ITMO University and the St. Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design. She currently works as an associate professor at ITMO's Faculty of Applied Optics, and a lecturer at ITMO's international Master's program in Lighting Design.

Other projects and research

Elena is a member of RULD, the Creative Association of Russian Lighting Designers. She has curated a range of art projects and exhibitions in renowned Russian museums and exhibition halls such as the State Russian Museums and the Manege Central Exhibition Hall. Elena's research interests include culture, philosophy, and art criticism. The author of 20+ academic publications, she is actively involved in applied research about the impact of lighting on lighting culture and the socio-cultural environment.