Dream at the Foot of the Mountains, 2022

Olga Onopko  

Olga Onopko is a contemporary artist and art educator currently based in Egypt. Her practice combines a strong foundation in academic realism with elements of Impressionism, Expressionism and abstraction. Working primarily with painting, she explores landscape, colour, atmosphere and the emotional perception of place, creating works in which recognisable imagery emerges through energetic mark-making, layered colour and experimental surfaces.
Onopko received her initial artistic education at a Children's Art School, followed by five years at Voronezh Art College, where she graduated with distinction and received a commendation from the College Council. She subsequently graduated with distinction from Voronezh State Pedagogical University with a Bachelor of Education and a Specialist qualification in Art and Technical Drawing. Her academic training established a rigorous foundation in drawing, composition and observational painting, while her later practice developed towards a more individual and contemporary visual language.
A significant influence on her artistic development was her composition teacher Petropavlovsky, who introduced her to Abstract and Impressionist art and encouraged experimentation beyond academic realism. This became an important turning point in Onopko's practice, leading her to combine the discipline of realistic representation with expressive colour, avant-garde approaches and increasingly experimental techniques.
One of the distinctive methods she has developed is her own technique, which she calls "otlipa". Rather than beginning directly on a blank canvas, Onopko first creates a contrasting ground using colours opposite in temperature and tone to the final image. She builds this surface through layers, relief and textured application, often working with small pieces of card. The subsequent image is then painted over the prepared ground while allowing fragments of the underlying colour to remain visible. This process creates depth, vibration and an almost luminous quality, with numerous subtle colour relationships contributing to the final image.
Alongside her artistic practice, Onopko has pursued a long-standing career in art education. She has taught art and continues to explore contemporary approaches to art education, including the use of digital technologies and AI in creative learning. Her academic interests include emerging approaches to art education, creativity and the relationship between traditional artistic skills and new technologies.
Onopko has participated in international exhibitions, art forums, festivals and symposia in Egypt, the United States and the United Kingdom. Her exhibitions include presentations in Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan, Hurghada and Mansoura, as well as exhibitions at the Mahmoud Khalil Museum, Russian House Alexandria, Pharos University and No. 35 Gallery in London. Her work has also received recognition in a number of international and national competitions, including first-prize and laureate awards.