Over the past two years, my artistic focus has been devoted to memory, nature, time, and inner awareness. This has been a path of rethinking — through observation and silence. Philosophy, literature, and, of course, my sea — a source of resilience and meaning — have been my companions along the way.
Art has become my way of keeping balance, like a tightrope walker holding a pole.The war disrupted the rhythm of life and forced a new perspective on each passing day. We’ve learned to live without plans, to notice the details, to cherish the simple. Time split into “before” and “after.”At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, I made myself a promise: I would speak only when I had the strength not to speak of destruction, but of peace, of love, of creation — of LIFE.
In the first months, I kept silent. Loud words felt out of place. I preferred direct action, personal conversations, and sincerity. And when not just faith — which had always been there — but clarity and inner confidence arose, I began to speak.All this time, I remained in Odesa. There were moments I considered leaving, but staying became a conscious and meaningful decision. The home front is no less vital than the frontline.
Living here means practicing the art of small steps, daily choices, and inner resistance to all forms of destruction." -Olga Volianska
Award winning Ukrainian born and based photographer Olga Volianska has two art educations; fashion design and design of the architectural environment.
In 2017 she discovered a new passion - photography. In the beginning it was photography from travels. She participated in numerous workshops and photo trips around the world, from Nepal to Paris along side outstanding masters of photography, including a portfolio review with Gueorgui Pinkhassov.
In 2020, during the Pandemic, photography took on a new meaning for Olga and became another tool for her artistic expression. After graduating from the Kyiv School of Photography, having passed all the programs of Dimitri Bogachuk, Olga became seriously interested in fine art photography, the results of which are presented in this exhibition.
As the Pandemic continued and along with Russian aggression, a new reality forced Olga to start to shoot at home and work with personal archives.
Olga currently lives in Odesa, Ukraine.
Volianskaʼs work is a shining beacon of hope, resilience and beauty in a time of war and uncertainty.
We are wishing her peace and harmony #StandwithUkraine.