Artworks by Olga Koval

Olga Koval has been drawing for as long as she can remember. Born in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, Olga grew up surrounded by books, imagination, and the rich cultural influence of her family. Her grandfather’s extensive library became an important part of her childhood. His collection included adventure and history books, nature stories, and fairy tales from around the world. Olga would read these stories and instinctively create her own illustrations for them, discovering at an early age the powerful connection between storytelling and visual art.

This early relationship with drawing gradually developed into a lifelong passion for painting. Over the years, Olga’s artistic journey was deeply influenced by her fascination with European art. When she was finally able to travel to Paris, she discovered the Impressionists firsthand and became captivated by their ability to transform everyday subjects into moments of light, atmosphere, and emotion. She spent countless hours in galleries, museums, and libraries studying the works of the masters.

Her passion for art led her to travel throughout Europe in search of original masterpieces. She became particularly interested in the distinctive character of different European schools of painting and the opportunity to experience important works in person. During a visit to Vienna, Olga was profoundly moved by Albrecht Dürer’s Young Hare. She returned to see the work repeatedly during her stay, spending days observing its extraordinary detail, technique, and sensitivity.

Olga does not restrict herself to a single genre. Her body of work moves freely between still life, landscapes, animals, and portraiture. This versatility allows her to explore different subjects while maintaining a distinctive personal approach to colour, composition, texture, and atmosphere.

Working primarily with oil and acrylic paint, Olga combines traditional painting techniques with expressive brushwork and the use of a palette knife. She is particularly drawn to the physical qualities of paint—the way colour, texture, and light can transform a blank canvas into something full of life and emotion.

For Olga, every painting is more than a representation of a subject. Each work is an opportunity to tell a story, capture a feeling, or preserve a moment. Her paintings are created with a deep affection for the process itself and a lifelong curiosity about what can emerge from the relationship between artist, colour, and canvas.

Olga Koval has had the opportunity to present her work in private and public exhibitions and galleries internationally, including in Europe, Canada, the United States, and Australia.

Today, she continues to paint with the same curiosity and sense of discovery that first inspired her as a child—creating works that invite the viewer to pause, look closer, and experience the story within the canvas