Olga Malakhova: A Tribute to Tunisian Culture through Art
Installed in Tunisia for over three decades, Olga Malakhova has been multiplying exhibitions, drawing inspiration from the country's culture, which she revisits with finesse and emotion. Her works constitute a constant tribute to the country she celebrates through its most authentic forms. Portrait of an Estonian painter, invested and strongly attached to Tunisian heritage.
Early Life and Inspiration
Born in Tallinn, Estonia, Olga grew up in a family surrounded by art. Her father, Stanislav Malakhova, was a renowned landscape painter in his country. Her grandfather, before him, was also a painter. From a young age, Olga accompanied her grandfather on outdoor painting excursions. At just five years old, she discovered her vocation: drawing the world. "The painter does not see with their eyes, but with their mind," she says today.
Education and Career
After university studies in Leningrad, she chose to pursue her path in Tunisia, where she settled in 1987. She completed a research master's degree in arts and later obtained a doctorate in Aesthetics, Sciences, and Technologies of Arts from the University of Paris 8. Her thesis, dedicated to the construction of the landscape in Tunisia, already testified to her anchorage and sensitivity to the territory that welcomed her.
Artistic Style and Inspiration
Today, a Tunisian national, Olga Malakhova is a member of the Union of Plastic Artists and the Tunisian Federation of Plastic Arts. She also teaches at the Higher Institute of Childhood Cadres in Carthage Dermech, training new generations in creativity. Her first exhibition in Tunisia dates back to 1988, as a landscape painter, after traveling the country with her father. Since then, her art has evolved, integrating elements of national heritage. "I revisit Tunisian heritage with the eye of an outsider," she explains. Her paintings are inhabited by the light of the South, the warm colors of the earth, the motifs of ancient mosaics, whitewashed walls, traditional tiles, or terracotta. Everything is joyful, enchanting, and human. A work realized with patience, passion, and depth, in the image of the artist herself.
Upcoming Exhibition: "Les Belles de Carthage"
Olga returns with "Les Belles de Carthage," whose vernissage is scheduled for October 12. This exhibition will take place at the Imagin' art space, with which she has been collaborating for several years. She first exhibited there in duo with her father in 2019, then through personal exhibitions in 2020, 2021, and 2022. "Les Belles de Carthage" will feature about forty works, including twenty large and medium formats, created in acrylic and mixed media on canvas. These paintings, created between 2023 and 2025, extend Olga's poetic artistic universe. It is also an ode to the Tunisian woman, past and present, whom she considers her muse. "The history of Tunisian women, like contemporary women, impresses me enormously," she confides.
A Bridge between Cultures
Through her work, Olga Malakhova is a transmitter of memory and emotion. She continues to weave a link between her Estonian roots and her adopted country, Tunisia, whose beauty she explores relentlessly. Her external gaze, become intimate, has given birth over the decades to a distinctive artistic vision to be discovered through her exhibitions.
