One of the artists that deserves special attention is Olga, an extremely talented, smart, friendly person, who will selflessly meet you whenever you address her. Inspired by her abstract art I decided to ask her a few questions about her, her life and work here on Madeira, what inspires and motivates her and of course her participation in the project ''arte de portas abertas''.
''I was born in Poland, where I studied painting in the Academy of Fine Arts. After my master`s degree I didn`t want to continue an academic career so I decided to travel the world. I spent few years travelling, getting experiences and searching for a perfect place for me to live a creative life. I came to Madeira by chance, between one journey and the other, but I immediately felt this island was special. Soon I took a decision that Madeira is going to become my home. I`ve been living here for 16 years now and I`m still in love with the island. Before Madeira, I was looking for inspiration in big cities, in museums, art galleries, concerts, libraries. Here I realized that what really inspires me is the constant connection to the nature. All that natural beauty around me is a great source of inspiration for my art. In my studio I make abstract paintings on canvas, which gives me great satisfaction, but it`s a lonely process. That is why I fell in love with mural painting, its immediate feedback and interaction with viewers. Painting a mural means working long hours on the street, among people passing-by, stopping to watch, chatting with me, making comments, giving their feedback. New friendships are born, and I am constantly learning and growing as an artist and as a human being. ''
''I participated in “Portas Abertas” project with two doors: one (the Butterfly) is in Machico old town, and the other (the Peacock) was in Santa Maria street in Funchal. Sadly, after 7 years of being in place, the Peacock door has been recently removed, as the whole building got renovated. Now the Peacock is “retired” in my garden.''
'' I love the idea of Portas Abertas – revitalising the city with art. I hope the project will continue and I would love to participate in it again. It`s crucial to dream. But for me dreaming is not enough. I always turn my dreams into plans. And so I live trying to make my dreams come true, one by one. My message is: don`t give up on your dreams , fight to make them come true!''
At the end of September, our team also had the opportunity to enjoy her exhibition, where I actually got to know her art and wanted to hear more from her!
It was my pleasure! Looking forward to future collaborationa!
Veronika Zhezhovska 06.11.2020