Ylenia Mino
Born: Italy
Studio: California
Artist’s Bio
Ylenia Mino is an Italian-born fine artist, live event painter, and creative entrepreneur whose work is rooted in realism, storytelling, and the timeless elegance of European art.
Born in Ivrea, a historic town at the foot of the Italian Alps, Ylenia developed a deep connection to art from an early age. As a child, she spent much of her time drawing and painting and began studying oil painting under an Egyptian artist who had trained with a French master. Her artistic education was complemented by a classical Italian education in ancient Greek, Latin, philosophy, literature, and art history—disciplines that continue to influence her appreciation for beauty, history, and the human experience. She also pursued dance, acting, and singing, developing a lifelong connection to performance and visual storytelling.
In 2011, Ylenia made her international debut as a solo artist at Artexpo New York. Her work has since been exhibited in the United States and Europe, including San Francisco, London, Innsbruck, and throughout Italy, and has been featured in publications and art media.
For more than 15 years, Ylenia has built a multidisciplinary career centered on fine art and the ability of painting to preserve meaningful moments. Her work encompasses portraiture, landscapes, still life, commissioned works, and live event painting.
Today, she is particularly known for her live wedding and event paintings, creating original works of art inspired by some of life’s most significant celebrations. Painting on location allows her to capture not only the visual details of an event, but also its atmosphere, emotion, light, and sense of place. Each work begins as a live experience and may be further refined in her studio, combining the energy of the moment with the craftsmanship of a finished fine-art painting.
Her live painting work has brought her to events throughout California and beyond and has included collaborations with organizations such as Bayer. In 2026, one of Ylenia’s live paintings was auctioned for $10,000 at a charity gala benefiting veterans affected by PTSD—an especially meaningful example of her belief that art can create both emotional connection and tangible impact.
In 2018, Ylenia founded Paint for a Purpose, a creative events company designed to bring people together through collaborative art experiences. Through corporate team-building workshops, community events, private celebrations, and large-scale collaborative paintings, she has expanded her artistic practice beyond the traditional studio and created opportunities for people of all experience levels to participate in the creative process.
She also creates highly detailed commissioned pet portraits, celebrating the distinctive personalities and emotional bonds between people and their animals.
At the heart of Ylenia’s work is a belief that art should do more than depict what something looks like—it should preserve what a moment felt like. Whether painting a wedding as it unfolds, a quiet Italian landscape, a beloved animal, or an ordinary object illuminated by beautiful light, she seeks to create work that feels personal, enduring, and deeply connected to life.
Her Italian heritage remains an essential part of her artistic identity, bringing together classical influences, contemporary realism, and a distinctly European sensitivity to beauty, atmosphere, and storytelling.
Artist Statement
For me, painting is a way of preserving what cannot be held onto—a particular light, an expression, an atmosphere, or a moment that disappears almost as soon as we experience it.
Growing up in Ivrea, at the foot of the Italian Alps, I was surrounded by art, history, and natural beauty. My classical education and early training in oil painting shaped my artistic foundation and continue to influence my appreciation for realism, craftsmanship, and the European artistic tradition.
My work is rooted in realism, but my goal is not simply to reproduce what a photograph can capture. I seek to convey the emotion and atmosphere behind what I see—the warmth of a celebration, the connection between two people, the personality of an animal, or the quiet beauty of a landscape.
This philosophy is especially present in my live painting, where I transform the changing light, movement, and emotions of an event into a single lasting memory. The same sensitivity guides my landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and commissioned works.
Ultimately, I paint because life is made of moments that pass too quickly. Through art, I can slow them down, interpret them, and give them a lasting presence.
