MARRASKUU 2026 - OLENA MIROSHNYCHENKO

OLENA MIROSHNYCHENKO - Fiber artist based in Finland

Bio

Olena Miroshnychenko is a Ukrainian artist based in Finland, working primarily with Finnish wool through the technique of wet felting. Born in Crimea, Ukraine, in 1983, she studied fashion design and later worked as a lecturer in the Fashion Design Department at the Kharkiv Academy of Design and Arts. Since 2011, she has developed her practice in textile and wool, initially creating bespoke clothing and accessories before gradually moving towards non-functional textile objects and contemporary art. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Miroshnychenko left her home and studio and moved to Finland in 2023. She is now based in North Karelia, where she continues to explore wool as an artistic material.

Work statement or description

Born by the sea, I carry it as an essential part of my sense of self. Having lost access to the Black Sea through occupation, I return to it as a space shaped by memory, loss and the vulnerability of life. The Sea Holds Its Dead presents the remains of a fish, evoking the fragility of all living beings and the presence of death within the same world we inhabit. Through felt, I reconstruct a form that holds both material presence and absence. The work belongs to my ongoing exploration of the sea as an intimate space that remains within me, even when it is no longer accessible.

Work technical description

I work primarily with wet felting. By studying established methods of making felt, I developed an understanding of how the material behaves and can be manipulated, leading me to develop my own technique. At its core is a specially adapted corrugated technical tube, whose textured surface creates controlled friction and pressure on the felt. By varying this interaction, I control shrinkage and create, modify and position surface textures. Additional operations, including lifting and manipulating the wool in the air and rolling it, complete the process. Through years of practice, I have developed a precise understanding of their sequence and duration.

Instagram: miroona.art

Website: miroona.art