Olga Abramova - graphic artist. Dry pastels, acrylic on wood.

About me

Olga Abramova is a pastel artist, based in Moscow, Russia.

She chooses soft pastel as the main medium for her work, combining it with acrylic, charcoal, gouache and other materials.

The main idea of her paintings is retention of human sensory experience in these accelerating times.

She is immersed in meditation-like scenes where time is present. Time reflects on everyday objects and light spots and turns into compositions, which create a new reality, quickly changing and disappearing.

She is looking for moments of quiet contemplativeness, that’s why most of her paintings are made in soft color range, which catches the viewer, leaving him alone with his mood.

In her searching she leaned on impressionists, tonalists and symbolists – those, who put inside there artwork something more than realistic plot, weaving their feelings into color shapes.

Learning from: James McNeill Whistler, Jean-Édouard Vuillard, Edgar Degas, Vilhelm Hammershøi, Andrew Wyeth, Gwen John, Wolf Kahn, Alexander Benois and others, she was seeking out means for her own artistic language.

Olga’s artworks feature lucid composition, subtle colors and emotional intension. The artist’s paintings have a lot of awards and are exhibited at Russian and international art shows in joint and personal projects. The artist has taken part in over 50 exhibitions all over the world. Olga’s paintings are in private collections of Russia, Europe, USA, Taiwan and in museum collection in China.

Olga is a co-founder and has been President of National Pastel Society of Russia since 2018. She has Master Circle status with International Association of Pastel Societies – IAPS/MC. She is a member of Pastel Society of America (PSA), Pastel Society of Turkey, Pastel Society of Italy (PASIT), International Art Foundation (IAF).

Olga is a teacher of original courses in drawing. She teaches in Russia and abroad.

Her book “Pastel” was released in Russia by publishing house EKSMO. The book is based on 20 years of artistic experience. The artist’s interview and paintings have been published in the Pastel Journal, the Pratique des Arts and other journals.

Education

Olga’s academic background includes a Master’s Degree in Graphic Design (teacher of art) from Moscow State Open Pedagogical University and a Master’s Degree in Textile Design (Honors Diploma) from Moscow Academy of Design and Applied Arts.

In 2000 she defended her diploma in pastel technique, describing the history and possibilities of the material.

Latest exhibitions

2021

6th Master Circle Division of the IAPS Gallery Exhibition. Zhou B, Art Center in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Coming soon
“Moscow Pastel”. Exhibition Hall of the MUA, Starosadsky 5/8, Moscow, Russia.
Pastel Exhibition. Italian Pastel Society PASIT. Online. Golden Award in the category ‘landscape-still life’.
Pastel Exhibition. Arizona Pastel Artist Association. Online. First Place Award.
Pastel Exhibition. Pastel Artists of New Zealand PANS. Online. First Place Award.

2020

37th Juried Pastel Exhibition IAPS. USA. Online. Golden Award.
“De Profundis”. Joint Exhibition of NPS and MUA. Exhibition Hall of MUA, Starosadsky 5/8, Moscow, Russia.
36th IAPS Juried Pastel Exhibition. Dunedin, Florida, USA.
5th Pastel Exhibition of NPS. Gallery “Exposed”, Moscow, Russia.
International Exhibition of Pastels. Pastel Art Promotion Association of Taiwan PAPAT, Taipei, Taiwan.
Winter Dakota Pastels Competition. USA. Online. Honorable Mention.

2019

34th Juried Pastel Exhibition IAPS. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Golden Award.
2nd Exhibition of NPS “Between Line and Color”. Gallery “Exposed”, Moscow, Russia.
Salon International du Pastel. Yerres, France.The 100th Аnniversаry of China Pastel. China. The painting is in museum collection.
ARTLIFE FEST. Art Exhibition at the Festival. Moscow, Russia.
Salon du Pastel en Bretagne. Fougeres, Bretagne, France. Award “Le Geant des beaux arts”.
19th Festival International du Pastel de Feytiat. France. Award “Le Coup de Coeur 2019 de la ville de Feytiat”.

All events

Публикации

Book “Пастель. Полное руководство для художников“. Publishing house “EKSMO”, 2020
Pastel Journal, “A Russian Renaissance”, 2020
Pratique des Arts magazine. Pastel “Recréer la réalité”, 2019
Pratique des Arts magazine. Pastel “La poésie du pissenlit”, 2017
IN/EX. Новый взгляд на дом и сад, «Воздушный синий» 04/2016
Аль-Асыль, художественный журнал Сирии, Интервью №2007-39
Художественный совет. “Нарисуйте запах” №3/19, 2002

ONE-ON-ONE WITH OLGA

french magazine Pratique des Arts

In just a few words, how would you describe the life of an artist?

I really like two simple words: love and work. Tove Jansson said it this way. One works very poorly without love.

What advice have you found useful in your life?

Also two: “Don’t stop dancing” and “It’s a waste of time for an artist to argue about art, do what you like and don’t listen to anyone else.”

Why are artists considered special?

Artists create their own rules in life, and from society’s point of view, what they do can seem irrational and pointless. They create new models of living and share this with others, who are not yet ready to understand what it is they are being offered.

What do artists have to fight for?

Time! Artists always have to use every minute! You could be involved in choosing new materials, preparing your studio, listening to music or be at lunch, but the whole time your thoughts are involved in the creative process – the most vital process. People around you don’t sense this searching for new ideas and think the artist isn’t doing anything. Artists are constantly busy!

Why do people read biographies?

I’ll answer with a quote. “Compared to the grand sweep and romance of Jack London’s life, my existence seemed like a squirrel with its head against a walnut, dozing until spring. For the time being, that is. But that’s how biographies are. I mean, who’s going to read about the peaceful life and times of a nobody employed at the Kawasaki Municipal Library? In other words, what we seek is some kind of compensation for what we put up with.” Haruki Murakami – Dance, dance, dance You can add to this the element of curiosity and a desire to learn something from others’ experience.

Who would you yourself like to read about?

I would love to read Tilda Swinton’s memoir, if it ever comes out. Reading biographies and memoirs of writers and artists, I’ve noticed an overriding principle – all the people who actually achieve something in life work very hard. With remarkable consistency, and often with passion. They love and they work.)

Two more questions. How many words are needed to describe what’s most important?

Sometimes, I suppose, words aren’t needed at all.

And how many brush strokes are needed to do the same?

Much more, which is why I’m a painter, and not a writer.