Meet the Artist: Olga Finkel

Olga creates textile paintings of unique  texture, colour and depth;
her innovative techniques are based on broad  experience in design and fine art. Her favourite materials are wool and  silk, which she hand-dyed to produce an exquisite and unique palette.  Olga ‘paints’ with pieces of silk like a painter does with brush  strokes; her work invokes a sense of intimacy, inviting viewers to get  closer and discover the beauty and warmth of natural fibre.

Olga  currently lives and works in Melbourne after immigrating to Australia  in 1989. Born in Kharkov, Ukraine, she graduated from Kharkov University  and continued her fine art education in Swinburne University,  Melbourne. 

Olga  worked in the fashion industry for many years, firstly in ladies’  fashion, and later, established a millinery business with multiple  labels, serving as Designer and Production Manager for over a decade.  After discovering and falling in love with felting, Olga explored this  fascinating medium full-time. Since then, she has created a series of  portraits, landscapes and abstract pieces and delivered numerous  workshops sharing her original methods. 

Always  experimenting, Olga combines different mediums – felt, encaustic,  fabric, acrylic, etc. Most recent works are painted on canvas first and,  staying true to her love of textiles, covered with thin layers of dyed  silk. The interplay of colours is almost palpitating.

Olga continues to exhibit in galleries around Australia, and her pieces can be seen in many corners of the world.