ABOUT OLGA FINKEL

Olga creates textile paintings of unique texture, colour and depth, her innovative techniques base on broad experience in design and fine art. Her favourite materials are wool and silk, which she hand-dyes 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 decided to explore 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, et cetera. Most recent works are painted on canvas first and, staying true to her love of textile, 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.