Olena Afanasieva is culture manager and civic society leader working towards culture development of Ukrainian society. Her practice focuses on the strengthening of capacities and empowerment of local creative community and on building cross-border culture dialog and cooperation. She is also is the leader of the NGO “Centre of Cultural Development “Totem”, co-founder of the art space “Urban CAD” (Creativity. Art. Development) created in Kherson in 2016 at the former industrial space using practices of art-revitalisation.

Olena is curator and art-manager of art projects in Ukraine and abroad and a manager of “Three points” art-residency in the Kherson region. As culture manager, she organized large-scale festivals in Kherson and curated exhibitions on local, national and international levels. She focused on Ukrainian identity and revision of culture & historical narratives.

On February 24, 2022 Olena was forced to leave her hometown of Kherson due to its occupation by the Russian army.