Gene Kreyd was born in Leningrad, the USSR (1964). Gene’s art career began when he first learned to hold a pencil. He was exposed to art from a very young age, when his parents took him to museums, galleries, and exhibitions in Leningrad. As a child, he attended a children’s art club at the Hermitage Museum where he won first place for a self-portrait. The photo of his work, with an accompanying story, were published in one of the city’s main newspapers. His parents’ close circle of friends included some of the leading Russian underground / nonconformist artists, poets, and writers. These surroundings had a strong influence on Gene’s approach and development as an artist. In 1973, the family emigrated to the US. He currently lives in Bali, Indonesia, where he surfs and paints.