-Words Lin Stranberg Photography Patrice Lacroix + Shayd Johnson
乌鸦传媒淧ainting large murals is my favourite work,乌鸦传媒� says Ola Volo, a 30-something Canadian artist who lives in Vancouver and Montreal.
You could be forgiven for thinking this tall blonde looks more like a model than a muralist, but make no mistake. She has made her unforgettable mark on walls throughout North America and other parts of the globe as well. In fact, a 2019 mural she completed in Montreal乌鸦传媒檚 Mile End neighbourhood is the biggest mural painted by a woman in Canada. Called 乌鸦传媒淲alla Volo,乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 a vibrant tribute to the neighbourhood乌鸦传媒檚 cultural and artistic diversity, extending over a whopping 15,000 square feet on a 10-storey building wall.
乌鸦传媒淚f you know where to look, you can even spot it from the air when landing in Montreal,乌鸦传媒� Ola says. 乌鸦传媒淭he first time I saw it, it just shook me! I saw how it made my voice as an artist very clear, how it gave people no choice but to react to the artwork, to notice it and think something about it乌鸦传媒攇ood, bad, whatever. That乌鸦传媒檚 the power of large pieces.乌鸦传媒�
Born in Kazakhstan to a Polish mother and a Russian father, Ola grew up surrounded by the myriad colours and patterns of the Middle East, China and Russia until she emigrated to Vancouver with her parents at the age of 10.
Her parents still live in Coquitlam and she visits regularly. She credits the distinctive look of her work, with its folkloric elements, magical but universal themes and colourful patterns, to the visual influences of her early upbringing.
乌鸦传媒淜azakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world, and as a vastly multicultural country, it乌鸦传媒檚 a sort of melting pot of content. When I started to look at what made my home beautiful as a child, I saw there were real connections with the ethics of the Eastern European and Kazakh culture that is often represented in bold colours and patterns.乌鸦传媒�
Women are central to many of her murals, none more strikingly so than in YWCA Metro Vancouver乌鸦传媒檚 乌鸦传媒淭he Wall for Women,乌鸦传媒� a 42-foot mural on a wall at the corner of Burrard and Melville streets in downtown Vancouver. Described as a 乌鸦传媒渕essage of hope,乌鸦传媒� it was created to support women experiencing violence. Reflecting the theme of how domestic violence hides in plain sight, five QR codes are hidden within the mural: taking a smartphone photo of them activates statistics about domestic violence and enables viewers to donate to new housing for women who have experienced violence.
乌鸦传媒淭o me, the code in the pocket symbolizes how domestic violence is often a secret many keep hidden,乌鸦传媒� Ola says.
Her artist乌鸦传媒檚 statement for the piece says: 乌鸦传媒淐oming onto this project, I thought a lot about what it takes to leave a domestic violence situation. It made me think of a powerful, brave queen who grants herself love and opportunities to thrive. Crown held high, she乌鸦传媒檚 looking forward to the future, protecting the fragile bird companion on her shoulder, and rising above the snake that乌鸦传媒檚 trying to hold her down.乌鸦传媒�
She wanted the woman to claim her confidence and her power back by taking up space.
乌鸦传媒淪he isn乌鸦传媒檛 small or fading into the background. She乌鸦传媒檚 front and centre and commands the attention she deserves乌鸦传媒攅ven in the busy streets of downtown Vancouver.乌鸦传媒�
Her Eastern European folkloric influences, with their patterns and colours, are prominent in this piece, while symbols like fire, hearts and stars contribute to its power and energy.
乌鸦传媒淚t was a complicated topic to create a public piece from, and it shifted my perception of what public art can really do for spaces and people.乌鸦传媒�
Ola earned a BFA from Emily Carr University in Vancouver.
乌鸦传媒淚 wanted to be a painter,乌鸦传媒� she says. 乌鸦传媒淭hen I tried graphic design, but I wasn乌鸦传媒檛 that great at it. With all its standards and strictures, I didn乌鸦传媒檛 thrive. Instead, I became interested in illustration. I studied for a year in Rotterdam and felt like I found my tribe with painters and graphic artists. I was not concerned with public art until I returned to Vancouver乌鸦传媒擨 discovered the city through an art perspective.乌鸦传媒�
There were not a lot of murals 10 years ago. When Ola painted her first one, called 乌鸦传媒淏unny on the Seawall,乌鸦传媒� on 50 feet of Kitsilano乌鸦传媒檚 seawall north of Point Grey Road near MacDonald, she didn乌鸦传媒檛 know much about public art at all. She was not even aware that a city permit was required.
Soon the commissions started to come her way.
Hootsuite, a Vancouver tech firm, was her first client: she painted a mural at its Vancouver head office. She乌鸦传媒檚 done work in Canada and the US for clients like Starbucks and Lululemon, and public art in spaces from Montreal to Monterrey.
She乌鸦传媒檚 always aware that public art reflects its community and cultural identity. For the Vancouver Mural Festival in 2016, she created 乌鸦传媒淰an City Scape乌鸦传媒� at 1st Avenue and Main, a bright, lively piece 乌鸦传媒渢o bring colour to Vancouver, as it is often grey and rainy in the city.乌鸦传媒�
In Mexico, she incorporated colour palettes that fit into the neighbourhood as well as colours she had seen in local markets. As for the women she depicts, 乌鸦传媒淭hey represent a little bit of me, a little bit of the women who inspire me.乌鸦传媒�
She has remained independent of agents or agencies, making herself accessible through her website乌鸦传媒攁nd she likes it that way.
乌鸦传媒淎ll the work I do usually comes to me from people reaching out. I like that I get to run my own show, make my own decisions and develop my own art. I find projects that align with me usually find their way to me,乌鸦传媒� Ola says.
She乌鸦传媒檒l be spending time in Vancouver this fall working on a Vancouver NFT Gallery opening and other projects.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e been painting walls non-stop since COVID, and recently I found digital work to be another great way to tell stories. It乌鸦传媒檚 a different medium I乌鸦传媒檓 using to keep exploring my art.乌鸦传媒�
Still, she is sentimental about 乌鸦传媒淏unny on the Seawall,乌鸦传媒� her first mural, painted during low tides on the beach in Kitsilano.
乌鸦传媒淚t ignited me to take that leap into storytelling and messaging to the public and not be insecure about it. Besides, she says, 乌鸦传媒淥nce you try it, you can乌鸦传媒檛 stop.乌鸦传媒�
Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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