Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Julia emigrated to the U.S. with her parents and twin sister, Victoria.

Julia Zoya Gomelsky is a visual artist based in Los Angeles, California, working across design, art direction, illustration, and photography for creative and luxury clients. She is known for her intuitive problem-solving, her ability to anticipate challenges before they arise, and her talent for translating a client’s vision into striking, purposeful visual work. A fast-thinking, active listener, Julia approaches each project with a customized, multi-option strategy. Her minimalist aesthetic embraces high-contrast imagery crafted to evoke mood, tone, and emotional resonance.

As an illustrator, Julia collaborates with Esalen on their Find Your Potential project, creating an ongoing series of illustrations that celebrate the influential thinkers who have shaped Esalen’s legacy over the decades. Through her Drawn for You platform, her illustrations have also been featured on the Howard Stern Show’s social media channels, where they’ve become favorites among fans and the Wack Pack.

Julia is the author and illustrator of five children’s books. Her newest release, Mushrooms Will Save the World, is a whimsical collection of super-short stories featuring animals and mushrooms doing everyday things that humans do. Her earlier titles — Hybrid Animals, Hybrid Animals Too, Happy Good Night, and Happy Bonjour — are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Lulu.com.

As a photographer, Julia shoots lifestyle, headshot, portrait, and product imagery, bringing a refined yet playful sensibility to each session.

Her personal body of artwork includes self-portraiture, landscape and travel photography, and mixed-media pieces incorporating custom papier-mâché on canvas. Her Paige and Ginger series — a vivid photographic travelogue chronicling the adventures of two cheeky dolls — was featured as the backdrop for K. Brunini Jewels in Las Vegas at the Couture show. Her The bird and the butterfly business is a customized collection of one-of-a-kind wall hangings inspired by travels and hiking discoveries in Ojai, CA and Tucson, AZ. They are sold in West Elm pop-ups and galleries across the United States. Read more about the bird and the butterfly on ShoutOutLA.