About Artist
A Kyiv-based company, OLK MANUFACTORY produces traditional and modern hand- woven rugs, tapestries, masks, unique art objects. Through her workshop, Ukrainian artist Oksana Levchenya, founder and CEO of OLK Manufactory, managed to create a new product, combining unique modern designs, folk ornament and traditional crafting technique. Vertical kylyms, produced in OLK Manufactory, are a landmark in the craftsmanship of Ukrainian carpet-weaving. An extremely intricate traditional technique, manual weaving, ranging back to the 16th century, has been preserved in OLK’s manufacturing process. Each stage of production – design, yarn-dyeing, intertwining by hand and steaming of the ready-made kylym – is realized directly in the workshop.
No machines are used in the kylym production process: ecological cleanliness of production and highly paid labour of masters are key concerns of the company. Tapestries and carpets are made of natural materials. The base of the kylym is hemp thread, the carpet cloth itself is made of dyed natural wool of Carpathian sheep or vegetable yarn from nettles. Hundreds of warp threads are stretched on a vertical loom and yarn is intertwined with warp thread by hands, creating a real treasure that can entice the most demanding connoisseurs and serves for many years, passed on from generation to generation.
Oksana Levchenya, founder and CEO of OLK Manufactory
Oksana Levchenya-Konstantinovska was born in Bershad, the Vinnitsa region, Ukraine.
EDUCATION
2001 – A. A. Bogomolets Graduated Kyiv Medical University by speciality of surgery
2005 – School of Architectural Design, Kyiv, Ukraine
Self-educated artist
FAIRS:
Phillips Auction London (Indigo Chief) 2022
Sotheby’s Auction London (Collider 2011) 2022
2022 Homo Faber, Venice
https://www.homofaber.com/en/ecollection/oksana-levchenya-207
2019 Revelations, Grand Palais, Paris, France
2019 Milan Design Week, “Modernism” (Creative Ukraine), Milan, Italy
2018 Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven, Netherlands
WEBSITES:
www.homofaber.com/en/ecollection/oksana-levchenya-207
www.1stdibs.com/dealers/olk-manufactory
artsy.net/artist/oksana-levchenya
artsy.net/show/port-agency-totem-of-recycling-show-by-ukrainian-artist-oksana-levchenya
AWARDS:
2019 Elle Decoration International Design Award Ukraine – winner
“Floor covering”, Synchronicity carpet
2019 Art Laguna Prize – Finalist
2017 London Art Biennale – winner
2017 Royal Arts Prize, Shortlisted Artists, London, UK – shortlisted
Royal Art Prize - shortlisted
London Art Biennale - winner
Art Laguna Prize - finalist
EDIDA - winner
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2020 – Solo exhibition, on the occasion of the 27th Aniversary of the Independence of Ukraine. Gothic Hall, Brussel, Belgium
2018 – Non-existent tribes, Gallery Bursa, Kyiv, Ukraine. Textile sculptures, installations, video art
2017 – Find Your tribe and love them hard solo exhibition, Invogue Gallery, Odessa, Ukraine. Photo, textile art, tapestries
2017 – Art Ukraine Gallery “Quasi-Evolution”, Kyiv, Ukraine. Tapestries
2016 – Soul Searching, Bulgari, Kyiv, Ukraine
2016 – Soul Searching, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine
2012 – Great expectations, FineArt Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine
2011 – Warlike feminism, FineArt Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine
2010 – Schastiye (Happiness) Luxury Gallery SadyPobedy, Odessa, Ukraine
2010 – Screenshot, Arsenal, Kyiv, Ukraine
2009 – SotsCapitalism, Ukrainian House, Kyiv, Ukraine
GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2021 – Art Fashion Days, Avant-garden Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine
2019 – Milan Design Week, Modern_ism, Milan, Italy. Ukrainian Object Design
2019 – Revelations, International Fine Craft and Creation Bienale, Grand Paleis, Paris, France. Textile, hand woven tapestry, objects.
2018 – Art Laguna Prize 13th edition, finalists show. "Space cossaks" , Arsenale, Venis, Italy
2018 – Modern_ism, Dutch Design week, Eindhoven, Nitherlands. Texlile, handwoven kilims
2017 – Royal Arts Prize, Find Your Tribe And Love Them Hard, London, UK
2017 – Lost&Found at Fondamenta degli Incurabili, Venice, Italy
2017 – London Art Biennial 2017, Soul Searching, winner. Gagliardi Gallery, London, UK
2015 – Art Kyiv Contemporary Soul Searching, Mystetskiy Arsenal, Kyiv, Ukraine
2014 – Art Kyiv Contemporary project Greed, Mystetskiy Arsenal, Kyiv, Ukraine
2013 – Art Southampton, NY, USA
2013 – ARTPALMBEACH-2012, Miami, USA
2012 – Art Kyiv Contemporary, Mystetskiy Arsenal, Kyiv, Ukraine
2012 – Kyiv Biennial 2012 - Arsenale 2012, " Mystetskiy Arsenal, Kyiv, Ukraine
2012 – Great expectations, FineArt Gallery, Kiev, Ukraine
2011 – Collider Art-Kiev, Arsenal, Kiev, Ukraine
2010 – Screenshot Art-Kiev Contemporary Fair, Arsenal, Kiev, Ukraine
2010 – Diktators for VogdeLenie, Ukrainian House, Kiev, Ukraine
2010 – Participate of " Ukrainian paradox", ArtByGeneva Fair, Geneva, Switzerland
2009 – Sotscapitalism Art Kiev, Ukrainian House, Kiev, Ukraine
2009 – Torn World project curated by Adam Nankervis Man Museum,
Bereznitska and Partners Gallery, Kiev, Ukraine