10 Questions with Olesia Bilyk
Olesia Bilyk - Portrait
Olesia Bilyk is a photographer and artist from Polonne, Khmelnytsky region, Ukraine.
Her journey in photography began at school when she experimented with her grandfather's old KYIV-5 camera and later received a KODAK film camera. Over time, her passion grew, leading her parents to gift her a NIKON D3100, marking the start of her more serious engagement with photography. Despite earning a bachelor's degree in tourism management (2014-2018), her career path took a creative turn. After moving to Kyiv, she initially worked in her field but soon transitioned into more artistic endeavors (2018-2019).
For a long time, she was self-taught in photography but later sought formal education at the Kyiv School of Photography, where she received diplomas in the basics of photography, object photography, and video shooting and editing (2020-2022). During this time, she also worked as a graphic designer, photographer, and videographer while independently conducting photo shoots and mastering reportage and macro photography. She further enhanced her skills through courses in photo art and retouching at SKVOT (2020-2022).
On February 24, 2022, she lost her equipment and job due to the Russian invasion, as she was living in Irpin near Kyiv. Forced to leave, she relocated to Stockholm, Sweden, where she lived and worked for 1.5 years. During this challenging period, she found inspiration in Scandinavian life, connected with art critics and international artists, and studied at the young Mykolaiv School of Photography (MYPH). Eventually, she acquired new photographic equipment and returned to Ukraine to continue her work (2022-2023).
After these experiences, she decided to pursue photography as an artist. Now, back home, she is dedicated to developing her own projects and sharing her vision through photography. Her story continues…
Sunset of the champagne color, 2017 © Olesia Bilyk
ARTIST STATEMENT
Olesia Bilyk describes her photographic work as research. She explores archives, macro photography, reportage, landscapes, and portraits, fulfilling her mission for scholars, artists, and the public. For her, research is about uncovering the truth and seeing reality in all its variations. Since humans perceive about 90% of information through sight, she has chosen photography as a tool to highlight ideas and issues. Each project and subject she captures is a unique experience, inviting viewers to explore alongside her.
Hopefulness (from the project Blossom), 2024 © Olesia Bilyk
INTERVIEW
First of all, tell us a bit about your story. How did your journey with photography begin, and what drew you to it?
Greetings! My name is Olesia Bilyk. I'm a photographer and artist. I was born in the town of Polonne, in the Khmelnytsky region of Ukraine. My passion for photography began at school. At first, I disassembled my grandfather's old KIEV-5 camera for spare parts. I loved taking pictures of everything around me with KODAK film, and then my parents gave me my first digital camera, a NIKON D3100. As a child, it was very interesting to take analog or digital pictures - at that moment, magic happened. Over time, my family, peers, and friends began to notice my passion and compliment me on it. This is how my love for photography began. An additional and significant inspiration in my further photographic work was the Art School in Polonne, where I learned the basics of composition and color.
Later, when I was a student, I was a photographer at the faculty and had small commercial orders. Also, at that time, I liked to go to music festivals all over Ukraine and take pictures. I even have a separate festival project on my website, which I still update with new photos. Unfortunately, during the war, I cannot afford to go to many festivals. During my student years, I was also attracted to macro photography, which I still use as the basis for my subject photography. Thanks to my curiosity and independence, I taught myself Adobe Photoshop and related programs. I love post-processing, especially creative post-processing.
To summarize, in my school and college years, I explored photography in all its forms: landscape, macro, object photography, post-processing, analog, and portraits (although it was very rare, I didn't like working with people; I was a kind of teenage anarchist, but people at a distance appear in my old photos).
You initially studied tourism management. What made you shift to a creative career?
Yes, I graduated from the Ivan Ohienko National University of Kamianets-Podilskyi, Faculty of Economics, majoring in tourism and hotel and restaurant business. After graduating from university in 2018, I moved to Kyiv and worked in my specialty for several months. But then, I didn't hesitate to change my paperwork for a more creative job. Still, I have been doing photography all my life, and it is the easiest, most attractive, and most suitable job for me, although I am very grateful to my university for the unique knowledge, experience, and life lessons!
Heart (from the project Blossom), 2024 © Olesia Bilyk
What was it like to transition from being self-taught to studying photography formally?
After I finished my work in tourism, I started my creative career in graphic design, reportage photography, and object photography. At that time, I was very critical of my work, I even had imposter syndrome, which motivated me to go to school and get knowledge and certificates - it was the right decision because I met the best people during my studies. Eventually, I entered the Kyiv School of Photography. There, I gained invaluable knowledge and diplomas in the basics of photography, object photography, and video filming and editing (2020-22). Later, to improve my skills, I took courses in photo art and retouching from a Ukrainian school, SKVOT (2020-22).
On February 24, 2022, I lost my equipment and my job because I lived in Irpin near Kyiv during the Russian invasion. Because of this, I was forced to move to Sweden in Stockholm, where I lived and worked for 1.5 years. During this difficult time, I was inspired by life in Scandinavia, gained experience from art critics and artists from different parts of the world and Ukraine, and most importantly, studied at the young Mykolaiv School of Photography MYPH.
The Mykolaiv School of Photography MYPH and its founder Sergey Melnitchenko changed my attitude toward photography, and I decided to take up art photography. This school gave me knowledge, support, and warm people with whom I want to work and who always inspire me with their successes. The students of the school have traveled all over the world, but we have the same goal - to popularize Ukrainian photography. So, the transition from self-taught to formal study was organic.
Your work covers a range of subjects, from macro photography to reportage. Do you have a favorite genre?
I don't have a favorite genre. I like a mix of genres, for example, reportage and macro photography, and I like adding interesting techniques to create fine art, such as scanning, to increase the emphasis on the subject. I just take pictures of everything I see - it's like creating many sketches for a more elaborate photo series in the future. My latest projects deal with social issues, war, health, and thoughts about the future - but I like to express them in different ways. Now, finally, I am starting to get along very well with people, so they are gradually becoming central figures in my projects. But I also like to tell stories through objects or plants. Perhaps in the future, something will change, and my artistic practice will change direction because there are so many topics to explore. I think it all depends on the context in which we live.
How did your time in Sweden influence your artistic approach?
It was my dream to visit Scandinavia. But because of the war and the loss of my job, I was forced to move to Sweden, where I lived for 1.5 years. My new job, beautiful nature, other people, and culture all had a positive impact on my mind. But there is another side to it - the longing for a burning home. It was then that the first ideas for photo projects began to appear. And, of course, at that time, I was studying at the young Mykolaiv School of Photography MYPH. Ukrainian theater played a big role in my life in Stockholm. I met talented Ukrainian directors and actors, and not only that, because the theater brought together many other artists who inspired me, taught me new interesting practices, and with whom I could just talk about the main thing that united us. Sweden is beautiful - but my home was waiting for me, so I came back.
Alarm (from the project Blossom), 2024 © Olesia Bilyk
Flowers that didn’t survive the war (from the project Blossom), 2024 © Olesia Bilyk
You describe your photography as research. What kinds of stories or truths do you aim to uncover?
Research is the foundation of my photographic work. Working with archives, macro photography, reportage, landscapes, and portraits allows me to fulfill my mission: to create visual stories for scholars, artists, and audiences. Exploring means looking for the truth and seeing reality in its many facets. Since we receive 90% of information through sight, photography has become my tool for revealing important ideas and topics. Each shoot is a unique experience, and that's great. Now, I am exploring the themes of war, memory, collective and personal history, and reflections on the future in the context of Ukraine and, therefore, the whole world. Taking a picture is not all work, and you need to live or feel what you want to depict - that's the value.
How has your experience of displacement and return shaped your perspective as an artist?
My experience of forced displacement during the war and my return to Ukraine has greatly influenced my vision as an artist. The sense of loss, separation from home, and adaptation to a new environment sharpened my perception of memory, preservation of history, and the transience of the moment.
Being in a foreign country gave me a new perspective on my own identity, and returning made my work even more personal. I started to focus more on the themes of change, memory, and heritage. My art is no longer just about visual images, but about the traces we leave behind. I want to record changes in society, the preservation of culture, and how the past shapes the future.
In your opinion, what role does photography play in helping people see reality in different ways?
Photography is a powerful tool that allows people to see reality from different perspectives. It not only documents facts, but also conveys emotions, contexts, and hidden meanings that can change our perception of events or phenomena. It allows us to stop and see details that are usually overlooked.
Through composition, light, detail, or even distortion, photography can both emphasize the obvious and reveal new layers of reality. It helps viewers to comprehend the past, reflect on the present, and imagine the future. Photography can be a mirror of society, a tool for archiving memory, or even a way to predict possible scenarios of the world's development.
In times of instability, it becomes a witness to change and a means of preserving important historical moments. It also influences collective memory, shaping perceptions of culture, war, tragedy, or victory. Ultimately, photography allows us not only to see but also to feel the world in all its diversity.
Houston, what is this, 2020 © Olesia Bilyk
Refracted reality, 2016 © Olesia Bilyk
Do you have a particular project or image that holds deep personal meaning for you?
Yes, I have two such projects now, the first one is BLOSSOM. This photographic project is my way of making sense of what I have experienced, preserving the memory of those we have lost, and creating a visual narrative that speaks of collective trauma and human resilience. The project is based on photographs of plucked flowers and scans of dried flowers transformed into a symbol of memory. The project was born at a time when the bodies of fallen soldiers were brought to our city en masse. People gathered along the roads, knelt down, and laid flowers to honor the memory of the heroes. Every day, new flowers replace the old ones. I started capturing these moments on my camera to preserve them for the future. Later, I dried these flowers in old Soviet books, symbols of a past that seems to still weigh on us. The dried flowers, frozen in their lifeless beauty, were scanned. Their fragile appearance emphasizes the contrast between their former vitality and current fragility. Some of the photographs or scans may contain personal stories from the past or present. The image of wilted flowers runs throughout the project as a central metaphor: they symbolize not only grief for the dead but also hope that their sacrifice was not in vain. The color of the nation. These flowers are the legacy left to us by the best of us.
And my second project, FATHER: THE STORY OF A LIQUIDATOR. My father, Serhiy Bilyk, was a liquidator of the Chornobyl accident in 1987. He was called a "suicide bomber" - this is confirmed by a document that shows the dates of his work at the third power unit, in the very center of the disaster. After completing the task, my father fell ill with radiation sickness and was sure that this was the end of him. But against all odds, he survived. He was only 27 years old when he stepped into the radiation hell, risking his life for the sake of the future of others. Now I, his daughter, am also 27 years old. And I created this photo project to preserve his story. This is a story not only about the tragedy but also about life after it. About the consequences that lasted for years and about the courage of a man who did not give up.
Lastly, what are your current projects, and what do you hope to explore next?
Yes, I have a lot of plans and ideas. I'm currently working on a project that is related to thinking about the future - the global future. It's an interesting project; everything is almost ready for filming, and I just need to finalize the costumes and props. I think it will be a powerful photo series about something important for everyone on earth.
Artist’s Talk
Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.
