Yana Payusova was born in 1979 in Leningrad, USSR. Classically trained as a painter at the St. Petersburg Fine Art Lyceé, she later immigrated to the US. She received a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, IL (2001) and an MFA from the University of Colorado at Boulder in Photography & Media Arts (2006)

Payusova exhibits both nationally and internationally, including recent venues at the Howard Yezerski Gallery (Boston, MA), Mimi Ferzt Gallery (New York, NY), Williamsburg Art and Historical Center (Williamsburg, NY) and the International Center of Bethlehem (Bethlehem, Palestine). She resides in Boston, MA with her husband and son.