Olive Branch – Exhibition at the Cathedral of St Stephen
The Exhibition
‘Olive Branch‘ is an exhibition as part of St Stephen’s 150th Anniversary Program.
The exhibition offers a poignant exploration of faith, humanity, and the enduring desire for peace. Through her evocative oil paintings, Olga reflects on universal themes of love, sacrifice, and resilience, creating works that invite viewers to find solace and inspiration.
Set against the backdrop of this historic milestone, Olive Branch speaks to the cathedral’s legacy as a place of reflection and hope for a better world, resonating deeply in these challenging times.
A Quick Peek
The Works on Display
Flight into Egypt
2024, Oil on Canvas, 90cm x 90cm, $1800
Biblical stories are an endless source of inspiration for an artist who aspires to storytelling, and this is one I had been planning to paint for a long time.
Shortly after the visit of the Magi (or Three Kings), Joseph was warned in a dream that King Herod was intent on killing the child, Jesus, so he took Mary and the baby to Egypt for safety. It was a good decision. Following the orders of King Herod, all male children two years old and under in the vicinity of Bethlehem were executed in what is known as The Massacre of the Innocents.
Sadly, too many families around the world still have to flee to reach safety. This painting was my prayer for these families.
Entry to Jerusalem
2023, Oil on Canvas, 90cm x 90cm, $2200
The painting refers to a narrative in the four Gospels, describing the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, which is celebrated on Palm Sunday. Jesus was greeted by a joyful crowd, and I tried to express the festivity of the event through the artistic means – the joyous colours and the grace of the shapes.
Kiss of Judas
2023, Oil on Canvas, 90cm x 90cm, $1800
One of my latest paintings, and a difficult one to write about, so I’ll use a comment of one of my Instagram followers, who expressed exactly what it means to me too:
“A good subject to explore – Judas – very complicated, interwoven with other themes, contradictions, prophecy, chronology, destiny. One painting could cut a cross-section over a lot of material.”
Three Marys (resurrection)
2022, Oil on Canvas, 90cm x 90cm, $1800
Dr Angela McCarthy’s, the Chairperson of the Mandoorla Art Prize, wrote a beautiful comment on the painting:
“This artwork reflects the gospel of Mark where Mary Magdalene plus Mary the mother of James, and Salome, go to the tomb only to find that the stone has been rolled back. They are carrying the spices with which they intend to anoint the body of Jesus as was the Jewish custom. However, he is not there but a young man (which we presume to be an angel, a messenger from God), tells them not to be afraid that Jesus has risen, and he will greet them in Galilee and that they are to go and tell the others.”
Baptism of Christ
2022, Oil on Canvas, 90cm x 90cm, $1800
This painting depicts the figure of Christ being baptised in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. Within the history of Art, paintings of the Baptism were very important and notable as they depicted the beginning of Jesus’s ministry and confirmation of his identity as the Son of God.
The colour palette I’ve chosen for this painting symbolises the two natures of Jesus, his hypostatic union, being both fully God and fully man. The ultramarine blue is for his divine self and the earthy colours are for his human self.
St Michael
2022, Oil on Canvas, 90cm x 90cm, $1800
Saint Michael, an archangel, is a spiritual warrior in the battle of good versus evil. He is considered a champion of justice, a healer of the sick, and the guardian of the Church.
‘Saint Michael’ was painted as the pair for another one of my paintings, ‘Saint George and the Dragon’, in 2022. With everything that has been happening this year, I thought it was good timing. We all have been fighting our own dragons.
Wedding in Cana
2023, Oil on Canvas, 90cm x 90cm, $1800
The transformation of water into wine at the wedding in Cana was the first miracle among many that the Evangelist recorded in his gospel. “A sign” as John called it. An extraordinary act, done out of kindness and compassion. It was a sign of Jesus’s glory and demonstration of God’s love and power. I wanted to create an atmosphere of enjoyment, a celebration and a new beginning. I love the rhythmical joy of it.
This is a version of the 2018 painting, which was the winner of the COSSAG Art Prize 2018, Brisbane and is in a private collection in Brisbane.
Noah and the Dove
2023, Oil on Canvas, 90cm x 60cm, $1400
This work was inspired by the beautiful commentary of Dr Angela McCarthy, the Chairperson of Mandoorla Art Prize, to one of my other paintings, “The Flight into Egypt”, where Joseph is holding a dove in his hands. I loved how Angela made the connection with the Noah’s Ark story and thought it was very relevant to our times: “The dove also images a story from Genesis where Noah released it from the ark to see if it was safe to land and the dove returned with an olive branch (Genesis 8:10-12). Is Joseph asking the dove to lead them to a safe place?” The painting is one of my prayers for peace and an end to wars.
Risen Christ
2022, Oil on Canvas, 100cm x 100cm, $2200
‘Risen Christ’ is a variation of my first Christian artwork, ‘Resurrection’, which is now in the collection of Holy Spirit Seminary in Banyo, Brisbane. It’s an important painting for me, as it was painted around 7 years ago when my father-in-law was dying. Erik, my husband, flew urgently to the Netherlands. I couldn’t go with him as my elderly mother was visiting, but on some level, I did. ‘Resurrection’ was my goodbye and prayer for my father-in-law, as well as a prayer for my husband.
Good Samaritan with a Lily
2020, Oil on Canvas, 100cm x 100cm, $2200
The parable of the Good Samaritan has inspired artists for centuries. It has been painted and drawn thousands of times, from great masters like Delacroix and Rembrandt to children learning the values of Christianity in kindergarten. Nowadays, the theme is as contemporary, and needed, as ever.
The goal in ‘Good Samaritan with a Lily’ was to create a graphic parable expressing the idea in a simple narrative form as Jesus himself was telling it.
Adoration of the Magi
2022, Oil on Canvas, 90cm x 90cm, $1800
This painting depicts the Holy Family and three Magi, represented as kings. The Magi having found Jesus by following a star are worshipping Him and presenting gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
This is one of my favourite scenes in the Nativity of Jesus series and I tried to express the joyfulness of the moment through colour and tenderness through the placidity of my lines.
Blue Concert
2022, Oil on Canvas, 90cm x 90cm, $1800
The painting is inspired by ‘The song of the Angels’ by the classical French Master, William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905). I loved the painting so much that I wanted to make my own interpretation of it with an infusion of modernism.
I retained the basic composition of Bouguereau’s painting; however, I expressed it in my own painting style. Here, I tried to create an atmosphere of quiet harmony and intimacy through simplicity and gentle nativity.
St George and the Dragon
2022, Oil on Canvas, 90cm x 90cm, $1800
The legend of St. George’s fight is an allegory of the victory of good over evil. I thought 2022 was a good time for painting St George.
St George is the patron saint of the poor, the warriors, and the armorers as well as the herdsmen with their herds. According to legend, St. George freed a Libyan city from a dragon which had tormented the inhabitants.
Adoration of the Magi and Angels
2022, Oil on Canvas, 90cm x 90cm, $1800
This painting is inspired by the stained glass of old European churches. Its colours are bright and happy, reminiscent of stained-glass windows and shimmering Byzantine mosaics. Bold brushstrokes charge the painting with a lively energy to express the joyfulness of Nativity. I have to admit that 2022 was a very difficult year for me. Even though I still painted a lot, it was a truly ‘blue period’ for me with mostly a blue palette. This painting was my first painting after emerging from my ‘blue period’.
