Olivia Eliash

ABOUT

Born in 1985, in Santiago, Chile. Olivia studied visual arts in Universidad de Chile, and specialized in Painting. In that institution she learned the basics of the craft. Later she joined a small group of fellow artists led by painter Rodrigo Vega and this is where she completely fell in love with painting and started to develop her own voice.

In the year 2011, together with other painters she created an art gallery based in her living room, where they hosted around 20 exhibitions of local artists that existed for about 3 years. She participated in exhibits there and in other galleries and exhibition spaces in Santiago de Chile.

At the age of 25, Eliash started working in the National Museum of Natural History in Chile, as a taxidermy restorer and exhibition collaborator. First she was there to restore the diorama paintings damaged in the 2010 earthquake. Then she stayed and learned about taxidermy and restoration. The work she does for museums, which she still does till this day, has enormously influenced her artistic career. Among like minded artists and scientists is where she fell in love with the natural sciences, and unknowingly set the foundations of her work’s topics and interests.

In 2014 she moved to Prague. She reached the National Museum and started to work in the natural science department in taxidermy restoration for various projects, like the Noah’s Arc exhibition of 2019 and the permanent exhibition The Miracles of Evolution which opened in 2021, for which she restored many dozens of pieces. Today she continues her work with the National Museum by restoring many of the old specimens stored in their collection.

In Prague she has continued with her painting practice and while living in Europe she has participated in exhibitions in Germany, Hungary, USA, Mexico and Czech Republic, and participated in symposiums in Hungary, Slovakia and Chile.

BIOGRAPHY

Born in 1985, in Santiago, Chile. Olivia studied visual arts in Universidad de Chile, and specialized in Painting. In that institution she learned the basics of the craft. Later she joined a small group of fellow artists led by painter Rodrigo Vega and this is where she completely fell in love with painting and started to develop her own voice.

In the year 2011, together with other painters she created an art gallery based in her living room, where they hosted around 20 exhibitions of local artists that existed for about 3 years. She participated in exhibits there and in other galleries and exhibition spaces in Santiago de Chile.

At the age of 25, Eliash started working in the National Museum of Natural History in Chile, as a taxidermy restorer and exhibition collaborator. First she was there to restore the diorama paintings damaged in the 2010 earthquake. Then she stayed and learned about taxidermy and restoration. The work she does for museums, which she still does till this day, has enormously influenced her artistic career. Among like minded artists and scientists is where she fell in love with the natural sciences, and unknowingly set the foundations of her work’s topics and interests.

In 2014 she moved to Prague. She reached the National Museum and started to work in the natural science department in taxidermy restoration for various projects, like the Noah’s Arc exhibition of 2019 and the permanent exhibition The Miracles of Evolution which opened in 2021, for which she restored many dozens of pieces. Today she continues her work with the National Museum by restoring many of the old specimens stored in their collection.

In Prague she has continued with her painting practice and while living in Europe she has participated in exhibitions in Germany, Hungary, USA, Mexico and Czech Republic, and participated in symposiums in Hungary, Slovakia and Chile.