Promotional article for

Olga Buczko
Nearly everyone does their bit for recycling these days, but perhaps not
quite as diligently or creatively as Olga Buczko. An avid reader of and
subscriber to The Age, Olga's developed a most unconventional method
of recycling her daily newspaper – by weaving shreds of Melbourne’s
iconic publication into a remarkable wall tapestry that you can't help but
want to reach out and touch.

Olga, an artist who works from her home in Brighton, has a penchant
for the unique and unusual that stretches back to her teenage years,
when she first learned the art of tapestry-making in her home city of
Gdansk, Poland. Taken under the wing of established artist Magdalena
Abakanowicz, student soon surpassed teacher in the intricacy of design
and originality of materials used, ranging from unravelled second-hand
knits to organic materials such as feathers and dried flowers, a novelty
that made her creations a popular attraction at the local market.

But innovative ingredients are just one reason her tapestries are so
visually striking – their design, although abstract, is always immediately
evocative of the everyday world, with great attention given to texture as
well as colour and composition. One piece looks like something conjured
up by Mother Nature, combining myriad dark browns and greens and
featuring a gnarled ‘root’ – in fact a thick, curling thread of material –
running through the middle, giving the piece an extra dimension and an
uncanny earthy realism. Another tapestry, infused with delicate feather-
shaped lights that can be turned on and off, transforms after dark from a
cool, serene piece reminiscent of morning clouds to something out of a
fairytale, casting a wonderfully cosy glow that saturates the canvas with
soft amber light.

On her sources of inspiration, Olga says she takes it “from anything,

anywhere”. Her latest piece, the newspaper tapestry, has its roots in
Olga's strong environmental consciousness and “constant look-out for
something different”. However, Olga also custom-makes tapestries for
clients, designing them to suit any home or business space – from warm,
traditional styles to bold and eccentric pieces guaranteed to invigorate
any modern décor. With commissioned work, Olga sees herself acting as
an artistic medium, weaving her magic in harmony with the client’s
vision as well as the tapestry’s future surroundings.

Asked about her next project, Olga was coy but assured me “Ideas are
always coming to me – there’s always something new and interesting
around the corner.” The evidence certainly speaks for itself.