Elena Gabbasova was born in the village of Kraskino, not far from Vladivostok, on the border with China. She began to draw at a very early age. While still being young she emigrated to Ufa where she entered an art studio and also studied at the Republic's Secondary Boarding School of Art. In 1978, Elena entered the Department of Graphic Art at the Bashkir State Pedagogic…al Institute, and worked as a temporary correspondent in the Department of Culture, Literature and Art.

 After graduating from the institute, where she mastered oil and pastel painting techniques. Elena also worked for the art funds of the Republic of Bashkiriya and took part in young artists' exhibitions. In 1984 she moved to St Petersburg where she worked actively in the portrait genre, studying the techniques of the great masters. Since 1991 Elena has been living and working in Helsinki, Finland, and since 1999 she has been a member of the Finnish Society of Russian Artists known as Triada and International Association of Artists and Art Critics at UNESCO.

 She has been commissioned to paint portraits of well known public figures in Finland such as Kalevi Kivistö (Minister of Education), Panu Haapala (Director of the State Railways), Pauli Leimiö (Managing Director of Yhtyneet Kuvalehdet Oyj), Aki Parviainen (sportsman), Lars Wendelin (Director of Silja Line), Markku Tamminen (Managing Director of Auto Bonin), Angelika Kallio (model) and others. Elena gathers influences from nature, travels, observations, daily life, stories and historical events, and is inspired by renowned artists such as Turner, Renoir, Degas, Kees Van Dongen, Matisse, Sorolla, Monet to mention a few.