Olivia Harks is an oil painter and mixed media artist with a surreal, enigmatic style.

Olivia, originally from Toronto, Canada, grew up in New Zealand and studied Architecture at Auckland University, where she began exhibiting her artwork. After earning her Master's degree, she lived in Australia and the U.S. which influenced her work greatly. The expanse of the Arizona desert broadened the perception of space in her artworks and a dark style emerged in her drawings. She returned to Canada and is now based in Abbotsford, Greater Vancouver, where she paints and exhibits while living with her husband and two daughters.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

I’m a self-taught oil painter and a mother of two, driven by a lifelong love of drawing and painting. My work is deeply personal and introspective, a visual exploration of emotions, mythology, and elements of surrealism.  Painting, for me, is a meditative practice, allowing me to quiet my mind, and create from a place of calm.

My paintings reflect the darker elements of human nature, blending abstracted settings with female figures to evoke emotion and dreamlike narratives. These elements come together, suspended for a moment, to embody deeper layers of human consciousness.

I paint women for several reasons. These muses are beautiful and elusive, embodying ethereal and otherworldly qualities. They become a language to convey profound emotions and experiences. Motherhood heightened my awareness of life's fragility and beauty, inspiring me to weave themes of feminine strength and grace into my work. Through my art, I aim to embrace this duality—the delicate balance of vulnerability and resilience that defines the female experience.

My dreams are often vivid and colorful, even when they unfold at night, and they inspire much of my work. I’m fascinated by our ability to explore other worlds through consciousness while staying in reality. This has led me to focus on blending dreams, subconscious visualizations, and the reality around me to express layers of the human psyche.

I believe creativity flows through us like a channel—we are vessels that can transform it into something tangible and new. Through my work, I hope to share this creative energy with others, encouraging viewers to feel, reflect, and connect with their own inner worlds.