Olga Udalova is a ceramic artist based in the Netherlands.

After many years working as a textile and print designer, Olga moved to the Netherlands, which marked the beginning of a deep personal and creative transformation. In 2022, she began exploring ceramics through pottery classes, and since then, her practice has evolved into a profound exploration of material and meaning. Drawing from her background in graphic design, she began to decorate her ceramic pieces with illustrations of forest animals, creating intimate graphic narratives that are deeply personal. The fox, a recurring figure she encountered during walks in the park, became her alter ego and a source of support through the challenging process of adaptation to a new life.

Olga’s work explores themes of emigration, loss of home, loneliness, dreams and the search for stability during times of upheaval and change.

Her project on emigration, developed during her time at the Clay Residency, marked a pivotal shift in her practice, from functional objects to art that speaks to the personal and collective experience of displacement.

Currently, Olga continues to create hand-built ceramic pieces, using the medium as a way to process and transform feelings of anxiety, grief, and fear in response to the turbulence of the world today. Each piece is part of a deeply personal and honest journey, reflecting her ongoing exploration of identity, belonging, and the search for emotional grounding in uncertain times.