About Olga Merrill
Olga Merrill was born in the Far East of Russia, on April 9th, 1971 and grew up there until June of 1988.
She graduated from Samara State University of Economics in 1992 and Samara State University in 1996. She lived and worked in Russia until March of 2013 when came to Maine, USA and life changed. At the end of 2015 her life changed even more – she got a photo camera and her view of the world became different through lenses. Photography was a hobby for her father, and she remembers the smell of chemicals from being with him in his darkroom. Who knew that after more than 35 years from her first brief touch of photography, it would be her hobby and photography started playing a significant role in her life.
She creates painterly, mysterious, intriguing artworks that bring imagination. Her dreams and her feelings are in her works. Abstract photography with endless creativity and experiences using different techniques and tools became a passion for her, and she is happy that she found the way to express herself through this style.
Awards and Recognition:
2019 San Francisco Bay International Photography Competition, Silver Award
2019 1st Edition Umbra International Photograph Awards , 1st, 2nd place Fine Art Abstract Category , 3d place Fine Art Digital Manipulation ( non professional )
2019 13th Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers non Professional section, honorable mention category “Abstract” , honorable mention category “Cityscapes”.
2019 Featured on YourDailyPhotograph.com
2019 5th edition of FAPA – 2018/2019, Nominee in Cityscape category
2018 Malta International Photo Award 18, Top 15 winning the second overall prize, Abstract Category
2018 International Exhibition “Abstract theme “ Juror’s Choice Award, Praxis Gallery, Minneapolis ,USA
2018 4th edition of FAPA – 2017/2018, Nominee in Abstract category.
2018 Maine Photography Show, Nominee. Maine, USA.
Solo Exhibitions:
2019 Solo Exhibition “Spirits and Secrets” 21 June -14 July, Green Lion Gallery, Bath. Maine
https://www.greenlionart.com
Group Exhibitions :
2019 “Maine Viewpoints: Contemporary Photography and Painting”. Thos. Moser, Freeport, Maine USA. 27 June – 3 November
2019 International group exhibition Urban Lights curated by LoosenArt, Rome, Italy
26th June – 4th July
2019 International Photography Exhibition SUBLIMATIONS Milan 2019″ 6th- 9th June, 2019
Fondazione Luciana Matalon , Milan , Italy
2019 International group exhibition “Moments of Color ” curated by Blank Wall Gallery, Athens, Greece, June 7 – 19
2019 Group Juried exhibition “IMMERSION”, Creative Portland Art Gallery ( 25 April – October 2019)
2019 Malta Postal Museum in Valletta, Malta, Malta International Photo Award 18, February 16 – March 16th.
2019 International photography exhibition “Urban”, February 14 – March 9th.
PH21 Contemporary Photography Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2018 International Exhibition “Abstract” theme, Praxis Gallery, Minneapolis , USA
2018 Maine Photography, BRAF Gallery in Boothbay Harbor , Maine, USA
Publications: :
2019 “Through a different lens” Times Record, Maine, USA
https://www.timesrecord.com/pageview/viewer/2019-06-14#page=20
2019 issue#6 June EYE-PHOTO Magazine (Austria). Photo Review.; 2019 “Sanctuary Seas: Olga Merrill’s Pictorialist Photography by Daniel Kany”; Maine Arts Journal Spring 2019: Sanctuary. http://maineartsjournal.com/olga_merrill_by_daniel_kany/?fbclid=IwAR3fusr_s27OFUB5xqwOKA4cqn_CplFlZOwQ8gb-t7UuUAzrwe52l6dAlNU
2019 April Issue, GetInspired Magazine.; 2019 23 February, “The Eye of Photography, Paris, France; 2019 February, Dodho, Barselona, Spain.; https://www.dodho.com/abstract-photography-by-olga-merrill
2019 January, “Photographize” Issue #40 (NYC); Upcoming events :: 28th annual Maine Open Juried Art Show (MOJAS) ,Common Street Arts Gallery, Waterville , Maine, USA August 12 – September, 2019. 2nd Chania International Photo Festival ,Chania, Greece,16 until 24 August 2019. San Francisco Bay International Photography Exhibition, ACCI Gallery, Berkeley, California, USA. 4 – 28 September, 2019.
