Olga Anaskina

Russia, b.1979

Lives and works in Heredia, Costa Rica

Olga Anaskina’s creative journey spans continents and artistic styles. Born in Russia, her life took a transformative turn when her family relocated to Costa Rica in 1991 following the fall of the Soviet Union. This multicultural backdrop – from her Russian background to her travel experiences through Europe, Central America and South America – greatly influences her work, which is a blend of abstraction and realism.

Her canvases, whether adorned with sensuous flowers, enchanting landscapes, or bewitching figures, releases an erotic and emotional charge. The paintings are contemporary in essence, but they often resonate with classical elements, notably in her flower pieces. Anaskina’s expressive brushwork infuses her art with movement and dynamism while creating a wistful, and nostalgic quality.

Starting with an everyday image, Anaksina transforms it into something unrecognisable as she forges entirely new worlds and crafts new figures never seen before. She introduces viewers to something Other, inviting us to immerse in her imaginative realms. Her paintings, at times, exude an eerie and uncanny quality, while at other moments, they may seem more familiar.

Having studied at the School of Arts #1 in Moscow and Fine Art at the University of Costa Rica, Anaskina is also an illustrator and silk designer and her commitment to art education is evident in her role as a teacher at The European School in Heredia. Anaskina has shown extensively across Costa Rica, as well as Russia and Argentina, and has most recently participated in A Dangerous Paradise at Galerie A.P. Lazar in Paris.

Olga Anaskina in her studio in front of an Olga Anaskina painting.

Olga Anaskina in her studio, 2023 (Photography by Julio Sequeira)

"My pigments describe human loneliness linked to feminine nature, reconciling my Russian roots with the most varied Western and contemporary influences.” Anaskina, 2023