Vera Khodakova was born in Ufa, Russia, one of seven, to her mother, Tatiana, an actress, and her father, Nikolay, a tattoo artist. 

Vera began studying at an art school in her home town before enrolling at Moscow State Pedagogical University, completing two degrees in Design and Art Education.

Before receiving her diploma, Vera suffered a cerebral cavernoma, requiring brain surgery.  As a complication of the procedure, she lost the use of her right arm and dominant hand, preventing her from painting and nearly ending her art career prematurely.

Unable to paint, Vera pivoted to digital design work, producing creative concepts and brand development for large brands in Moscow.  Determined to stay in the art world, she worked as a curator at the Clio Art Fair in New York (2017), Art Week Miami (2018), and the New York Art Expo (2018), where she also designed exhibition spaces.

Thanks to persistence and the inspiration of art, Vera rehabilitated her hand over time and began painting again.  In 2018, she transitioned into becoming a full-time artist, focusing on contemporary figurative art.  She has since completed and exhibited her first two series, The Emptiness and Game Over, in Russia and the US.

Vera currently resides in Jersey City, New Jersey and paints at her studio at Mana Contemporary.