About Rufina Shteynberg

I was born and raised in Moldova, where my family settled after my grandparents fled Nazi occupied Romania. Despite my parents being prominent Refuzniks, my childhood was beautiful—filled with immense love and surrounded by mind-bogglingly fascinating people and events. I draw much of my current imagery from these formative years, channeling both the stories I inherited and the history I witnessed with my own eyes.

My formal education began in Moldova's capital, Kishinev, where I attended art school and college, receiving a classical education in fine art and art history. I still vividly remember our late-night group outings, braving the freezing winter darkness to sketch and paint at abandoned factories and the local railway station. It was during these exhilarating times that I first fell in love with printmaking.

When we immigrated to the United States, I continued my printmaking studies at San Jose State University. However, as the digital era exploded, I found myself drawn to the emerging worlds of graphic and web design. After expanding my studies into multimedia, I channeled my creativity into a long, rewarding career in product design.

Now, a new era begins. I am returning to the physical canvas and the press, picking up exactly where I left off—but carrying the perspective of a changing world and a matured self. I still have so many beautiful visual stories left to share.