Oksana Levchenya-Konstantinovska

OLK Manufactory

Mask maker

©Yulia Yakubyshyna

©Andrei Pilipets

©Yevhenii Avramenko

A mask-maker revealed

Oksana was awarded a Special Mention for Excellence at the London Art Biennale in 2017
OLK Manufactory is her kilim atelier in Kyiv
She has exhibited in international venues in Europe, UK and the USA

Oksana Levchenya-Konstantinovska fearlessly broke a generational chain of medical doctors in her family to pursue her passion for arts and craftsmanship. Initially following in her mother's footsteps, Oksana graduated as a surgeon from A. A. Bogomolets National Medical University in Kyiv. After years of practice in the medical sphere, her deep creative drive led her to pursue arts at the School of Architectural Design, where she graduated in 2005. Oksana has evolved as an artist by exploring themes of self, tribal and cultural identity through mask-making, sculpting and weaving with recycled fabrics and embroidery. Her colourful and original creations stem from her own struggles with identity and touch the core of current cultural issues to portray the free spirit within.

Interview

©Yulia Yakubyshyna

©Yulia Yakubyshyna

When was your breakthrough moment, transitioning from medicine to craftsmanship?: Divorced and determined to fully embrace motherhood, unlike my own upbringing with an absent, work-focused mother, I was willing to break away from tradition. A deep-seated passion for art was reignited through my mentorship with renowned Kyiv painter Alexandra (Sasha) Prakhova, leading to my artistic awakening.
What is the earliest memory you have of your creative interests?: I remember I used to play with gauze and wound dressings while I waited for my mother and uncle at the hospital where they worked. I used to make imaginary objects with this fabric. Cross-stitching practice is also something most women in Ukraine learn at an early age and I recall it in my family before my life as a surgeon.
In what ways is the theme of identity portrayed in your work?: Inspired by Motankas, traditional talisman dolls symbolising family connections, my masks and totems explore how society conceals individuality, imposes stereotypes, and shapes group identities, leading to the loss of the authentic self. They reflect personality archetypes and connect me to the feminine and mother image. I envision people embracing diverse, authentic personalities within their 'tribe', fostering understanding and reducing conflict by recognising shared human struggles.
How has the war impacted your work?: I worked as a wartime medicine instructor in Kyiv during the early days of war in 2022, but decided to take care of my own first by resuming normal life. War has been so painful, unfair and inhuman, that I have not been able to express these feelings artfully yet. I want to create images that reflect beauty, not pain, nor trauma. Textiles have a tactile quality and can provide a sense of safety and calm I hope to channel as a healing medium through my work. I am on my way to making something grandiose.

Oksana Levchenya-Konstantinovska is a rising star: she began her career in 2017