Fairy tales for adults
Title: Harvesting fly agarics
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 80*70 cm
Year: 2018
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
At the heart of this work lies the fragile boundary between the magical and the mundane, where irony and fairy-tale elements transform familiar motifs. Fly agarics are carefully cleaned, sorted, and preserved in jars, turning something potentially dangerous into a tool of discovery—or even alchemy. The two figures by the fire are engaged in their work like characters from folk tales, where supernatural beings are not always malevolent but simply follow their own laws. Here, they do not evoke fear but rather a smile—within this world, the mystical submits to everyday ritual.
The painting balances between folklore and personal myth, weaving magic into the simplest of actions. It invites the viewer to reflect on the nature of enchantment in daily life, on perceiving reality through the lens of childlike wonder and irony.
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 80*70 cm
Year: 2018
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
At the heart of this work lies the fragile boundary between the magical and the mundane, where irony and fairy-tale elements transform familiar motifs. Fly agarics are carefully cleaned, sorted, and preserved in jars, turning something potentially dangerous into a tool of discovery—or even alchemy. The two figures by the fire are engaged in their work like characters from folk tales, where supernatural beings are not always malevolent but simply follow their own laws. Here, they do not evoke fear but rather a smile—within this world, the mystical submits to everyday ritual.
The painting balances between folklore and personal myth, weaving magic into the simplest of actions. It invites the viewer to reflect on the nature of enchantment in daily life, on perceiving reality through the lens of childlike wonder and irony.
Title: Everyone loves Malvina
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 80*60 cm
Year: 2019
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
Carnival characters are frozen in a moment where masks cease to be just masks, and emotions are no longer mere theatrical play.
The gazes of the characters reveal a hidden tension. Pierrot, lurking by the tree, is not just a silent observer but a participant in a scene where everything has already happened. This painting speaks of authenticity concealed behind roles and the timeless story of those who remain on the sidelines.
Dimensions: 80*60 cm
Year: 2019
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
Carnival characters are frozen in a moment where masks cease to be just masks, and emotions are no longer mere theatrical play.
The gazes of the characters reveal a hidden tension. Pierrot, lurking by the tree, is not just a silent observer but a participant in a scene where everything has already happened. This painting speaks of authenticity concealed behind roles and the timeless story of those who remain on the sidelines.
Title: Beauty and the Beast
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 80*70 cm
Year: 2019
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
The beast offers the beauty a flower. Is it a gift or a trial? The magic in this painting is not so much about salvation as it is about the power of choice. The heroine has yet to take her step toward the unknown. And we do not know— is this just another fairy tale promising a miracle, or a reality that will demand sacrifice?
Dimensions: 80*70 cm
Year: 2019
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
The beast offers the beauty a flower. Is it a gift or a trial? The magic in this painting is not so much about salvation as it is about the power of choice. The heroine has yet to take her step toward the unknown. And we do not know— is this just another fairy tale promising a miracle, or a reality that will demand sacrifice?
Title: Where the bogeymen take the bad girls
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 70*80 cm
Year: 2018
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
She runs without resistance, with curiosity, with excitement— as if she chose this escape herself. The beast leads her into the dark forest, where rules no longer apply, and the world becomes fluid, wild, and free.
This is a story of fear and desire, of the unknown that lures stronger than the familiar. We do not know if she is being saved or disappearing forever, but one thing is certain— there is no way back.
Dimensions: 70*80 cm
Year: 2018
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
She runs without resistance, with curiosity, with excitement— as if she chose this escape herself. The beast leads her into the dark forest, where rules no longer apply, and the world becomes fluid, wild, and free.
This is a story of fear and desire, of the unknown that lures stronger than the familiar. We do not know if she is being saved or disappearing forever, but one thing is certain— there is no way back.
Title: Underground
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 60*70 cm
Year: 2023
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
Two worlds are divided by the thin surface of the water: above — power, ships, the Kremlin towers, forged chains. Below — an underwater realm where music plays even in silence, and a stream of fish carries away fragments of objects, thoughts, and memories.
This is not just a fairy-tale underwater world but a space of freedom—fragile, illusory, hidden from sight. Life continues here while borders are built above. The only question is: how deep must one dive to breathe freely?
Dimensions: 60*70 cm
Year: 2023
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
Two worlds are divided by the thin surface of the water: above — power, ships, the Kremlin towers, forged chains. Below — an underwater realm where music plays even in silence, and a stream of fish carries away fragments of objects, thoughts, and memories.
This is not just a fairy-tale underwater world but a space of freedom—fragile, illusory, hidden from sight. Life continues here while borders are built above. The only question is: how deep must one dive to breathe freely?
Title: Fly agaric milk
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 50*60 cm
Year: 2021
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
This is a story about the hidden power of everyday life, where magic does not announce itself loudly but weaves into simple things—the warmth of the fire, a cup of drink, the steady rhythm of familiar tasks.
Dimensions: 50*60 cm
Year: 2021
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
This is a story about the hidden power of everyday life, where magic does not announce itself loudly but weaves into simple things—the warmth of the fire, a cup of drink, the steady rhythm of familiar tasks.
Title: Potatoes are blooming
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 70*80 cm
Year: 2020
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
For the elderly mistress of the house, the blooming of potatoes is far more beautiful than ornamental flowers. To those who have never endured hunger, war, or repression, this may seem too grounded, but behind it lies a harrowing personal experience of survival and fear—one that forever shaped her sense of beauty.
Dimensions: 70*80 cm
Year: 2020
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
For the elderly mistress of the house, the blooming of potatoes is far more beautiful than ornamental flowers. To those who have never endured hunger, war, or repression, this may seem too grounded, but behind it lies a harrowing personal experience of survival and fear—one that forever shaped her sense of beauty.
Title: Homeland
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 80*100 cm
Year: 2020
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
In a child’s vision, the industrial landscape is as natural as nature itself. Smoke curls decoratively across the sky, slender chimneys rise like striped beacons, and pastel-colored train cars blend harmoniously with wildflowers.
A child’s gaze perceives the world as a whole, without distinguishing between aesthetic objects, industrial or natural. Everything is equally beautiful in its pure, naive perception.
Dimensions: 80*100 cm
Year: 2020
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
In a child’s vision, the industrial landscape is as natural as nature itself. Smoke curls decoratively across the sky, slender chimneys rise like striped beacons, and pastel-colored train cars blend harmoniously with wildflowers.
A child’s gaze perceives the world as a whole, without distinguishing between aesthetic objects, industrial or natural. Everything is equally beautiful in its pure, naive perception.
Title: During school holidays at my grandma's
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 80*70 cm
Year: 2020
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
A witch’s hut in the deep forest, yet there is no fear or adventure here. These children do not wander through the dark woods or engage with supernatural forces. They are already part of this world— as familiar with it as they are with the screens of their smartphones.
And they themselves belong to a fantasy realm, but of a different era— the world of video games. This painting is a cultural dialogue between generations. There is no impenetrable boundary between us. Each person lives their own fate, assembling personal experience from the fragments of cultural artifacts available to them.
Dimensions: 80*70 cm
Year: 2020
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
A witch’s hut in the deep forest, yet there is no fear or adventure here. These children do not wander through the dark woods or engage with supernatural forces. They are already part of this world— as familiar with it as they are with the screens of their smartphones.
And they themselves belong to a fantasy realm, but of a different era— the world of video games. This painting is a cultural dialogue between generations. There is no impenetrable boundary between us. Each person lives their own fate, assembling personal experience from the fragments of cultural artifacts available to them.
Title: Family album
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 80*60 cm
Year: 2023
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
This scene appears domestic, yet the tension in the air is palpable. Characters from different tales are frozen in perfect composition—who belongs to whose story?
In this world, everyone holds their own key. Does it unlock a mystery or a door best left closed? The question remains unanswered, just like the fate of those captured in the faded photographs.
Dimensions: 80*60 cm
Year: 2023
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
This scene appears domestic, yet the tension in the air is palpable. Characters from different tales are frozen in perfect composition—who belongs to whose story?
In this world, everyone holds their own key. Does it unlock a mystery or a door best left closed? The question remains unanswered, just like the fate of those captured in the faded photographs.
Title: Thumbelina's First Marriage
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 60*80 cm
Year: 2021
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
Thumbelina’s first marriage is not a fairy tale about a prince. It’s a room where the light from the television is brighter than their conversations, where the table is set, but dinner has already gone cold.
She smokes, staring into the void; he is absorbed in the screen. Their worlds do not intersect, yet they continue to coexist—out of habit, inertia, or some unspoken agreement that once seemed like destiny.
Dimensions: 60*80 cm
Year: 2021
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
Thumbelina’s first marriage is not a fairy tale about a prince. It’s a room where the light from the television is brighter than their conversations, where the table is set, but dinner has already gone cold.
She smokes, staring into the void; he is absorbed in the screen. Their worlds do not intersect, yet they continue to coexist—out of habit, inertia, or some unspoken agreement that once seemed like destiny.
Title: Hellish work
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 80*70 cm
Year: 2021
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
Hell runs on schedule. Work is in full swing—here he stirs the coals, there he leans on his shovel, and there he is again, smoking. He is everywhere, and no one finds it strange.
The composition is as synchronized as a hagiographic icon, where events unfold simultaneously across the scene. This is not punishment, nor is it chaos—it is routine, pushed to the point of absurdity. Hell here is not a place of torment, but a factory where the shift never ends.
Dimensions: 80*70 cm
Year: 2021
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
Hell runs on schedule. Work is in full swing—here he stirs the coals, there he leans on his shovel, and there he is again, smoking. He is everywhere, and no one finds it strange.
The composition is as synchronized as a hagiographic icon, where events unfold simultaneously across the scene. This is not punishment, nor is it chaos—it is routine, pushed to the point of absurdity. Hell here is not a place of torment, but a factory where the shift never ends.
Title: Pioneer
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 60*80 cm
Year: 2017
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
1987. Red flags are still flying over the Motherland, but the taste of change is already in the air. On the red poster "Glory of the CPSU and 70 years of the Great October". Monuments stand askew. The old are scared, the young are happy. The permanent revolution, about which the Bolsheviks talked so much... oh, that's who she is!
Dimensions: 60*80 cm
Year: 2017
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
1987. Red flags are still flying over the Motherland, but the taste of change is already in the air. On the red poster "Glory of the CPSU and 70 years of the Great October". Monuments stand askew. The old are scared, the young are happy. The permanent revolution, about which the Bolsheviks talked so much... oh, that's who she is!
Title: Neighbour
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 70*80 cm
Year: 2018
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
Everything is on edge—between the ordinary and the unspoken. The setting is peaceful, yet the tension in the air is palpable. The boundaries of personal space are blurred, and in this yard, everyone knows just a little more about each other than they would like. Some provoke, others pretend it has nothing to do with them.
Dimensions: 70*80 cm
Year: 2018
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
Everything is on edge—between the ordinary and the unspoken. The setting is peaceful, yet the tension in the air is palpable. The boundaries of personal space are blurred, and in this yard, everyone knows just a little more about each other than they would like. Some provoke, others pretend it has nothing to do with them.
Title: I'm walking
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 60*80 cm
Year: 2020
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
The world is vast, the snow endless for such small feet. A first encounter with cold, silence, solitude.
There is no fear here, only the unknown. The boundary between home and the outside world is already blurred, yet not fully crossed. And every step is a discovery.
Dimensions: 60*80 cm
Year: 2020
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
The world is vast, the snow endless for such small feet. A first encounter with cold, silence, solitude.
There is no fear here, only the unknown. The boundary between home and the outside world is already blurred, yet not fully crossed. And every step is a discovery.
Title: A Child’s Nightmare
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 70*90 cm
Year: 2016
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
Everything here is familiar, yet nothing feels safe. Joy is intertwined with unease, the wondrous with the nightmarish, and the boundaries between them are as fluid as the dream itself.
Dimensions: 70*90 cm
Year: 2016
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
Everything here is familiar, yet nothing feels safe. Joy is intertwined with unease, the wondrous with the nightmarish, and the boundaries between them are as fluid as the dream itself.
Title: Forest of Wonders
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 70*80 cm
Year: 2018
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
The forest is full of eyes, shadows, and whispers. It watches but does not speak. The glowing flowers do not lead to salvation—they only draw you deeper into the unknown.
Dimensions: 70*80 cm
Year: 2018
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
The forest is full of eyes, shadows, and whispers. It watches but does not speak. The glowing flowers do not lead to salvation—they only draw you deeper into the unknown.
Title: Sasha Pushkin — sun of Russian poetry
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 50*35 cm
Year: 2018
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
An ironic reimagining of the poet’s image, long detached from reality. The exaggerated, almost grotesque glow of his halo is entangled with the symbols of his own myth: the enchanted oak, the learned talking cat.
Yet the familiar name Sasha reveals a living, young rebel—restless, full of ideas, willing to break taboos to create something new. This is not a bronze monument, as politicians might prefer, nor a flag for them to wave. This is a poet whose magic of words is still very much alive.
Dimensions: 50*35 cm
Year: 2018
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
An ironic reimagining of the poet’s image, long detached from reality. The exaggerated, almost grotesque glow of his halo is entangled with the symbols of his own myth: the enchanted oak, the learned talking cat.
Yet the familiar name Sasha reveals a living, young rebel—restless, full of ideas, willing to break taboos to create something new. This is not a bronze monument, as politicians might prefer, nor a flag for them to wave. This is a poet whose magic of words is still very much alive.
Title: Childhood
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 80*100 cm
Year: 2022
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
Childhood is a time when winter is not cold but magical, when every footprint in the snow is a mystery, and every corner of a familiar yard might be hiding a miracle.
The world is filled with details that an adult’s gaze no longer notices—hares in the snowdrifts, deer behind the bushes, bullfinches on the branches. In this silence, there is no loneliness, only the feeling of endless time and space where anything is possible.
Dimensions: 80*100 cm
Year: 2022
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
Childhood is a time when winter is not cold but magical, when every footprint in the snow is a mystery, and every corner of a familiar yard might be hiding a miracle.
The world is filled with details that an adult’s gaze no longer notices—hares in the snowdrifts, deer behind the bushes, bullfinches on the branches. In this silence, there is no loneliness, only the feeling of endless time and space where anything is possible.
Title: Old friends
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 80*70 cm
Year: 2019
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
In this garden, time flows differently. Old friends faithfully honor a ritual once established. They live in a familiar rhythm—unhurried, filled with memories and conversations where everything has already been said, yet there is still more to say.
Dimensions: 80*70 cm
Year: 2019
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
In this garden, time flows differently. Old friends faithfully honor a ritual once established. They live in a familiar rhythm—unhurried, filled with memories and conversations where everything has already been said, yet there is still more to say.
Title: Under the moon
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 80*60 cm
Year: 2017
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
The night is still, yet filled with signs. Something is about to happen, but no one is rushing it. He plays, she listens. Their conversation is unheard, but words are unnecessary. Everything is already spoken through the glow of the lantern, the shadows, and the shimmering stars.
Dimensions: 80*60 cm
Year: 2017
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
The night is still, yet filled with signs. Something is about to happen, but no one is rushing it. He plays, she listens. Their conversation is unheard, but words are unnecessary. Everything is already spoken through the glow of the lantern, the shadows, and the shimmering stars.
Title: Starfall
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 70*80 cm
Year: 2018
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
The night unfolds in a thousand lights: stars fall, the grasses glow on their own. Even the air feels thick with magic. The space itself waits for a wish to fulfill.
Dimensions: 70*80 cm
Year: 2018
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
The night unfolds in a thousand lights: stars fall, the grasses glow on their own. Even the air feels thick with magic. The space itself waits for a wish to fulfill.
Title: Date
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 60*70 cm
Year: 2017
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
As if they had sat like this hundreds of times before. The wine is poured, the conversation flows, but their words are lost in the sound of the waves. She smiles, yet her gaze drifts into the void. He is absorbed, explaining something, but is he speaking to her or to himself?
What is this for them—a bargain, a hunt, a game? Or perhaps they are merely passing the time, knowing that by morning, each will return to their own world?
Dimensions: 60*70 cm
Year: 2017
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
As if they had sat like this hundreds of times before. The wine is poured, the conversation flows, but their words are lost in the sound of the waves. She smiles, yet her gaze drifts into the void. He is absorbed, explaining something, but is he speaking to her or to himself?
What is this for them—a bargain, a hunt, a game? Or perhaps they are merely passing the time, knowing that by morning, each will return to their own world?
Title: At night
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 80*100 cm
Year: 2016
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
The night transforms the familiar. The village drifts, the snow glows, and the water flows like a lunar stream. Everything has become fluid, yet the path to fetch water remains the same.
The silence feels alive, and unseen eyes watch from the darkness. But there is no place for fear—only the ancient rhythm of glowing footprints in the snow and water drawn from the very heart of winter.
Dimensions: 80*100 cm
Year: 2016
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
The night transforms the familiar. The village drifts, the snow glows, and the water flows like a lunar stream. Everything has become fluid, yet the path to fetch water remains the same.
The silence feels alive, and unseen eyes watch from the darkness. But there is no place for fear—only the ancient rhythm of glowing footprints in the snow and water drawn from the very heart of winter.
Title: Winter Coming
Medium: Cardboard, tempera
Dimensions: 45*53 cm
Year: 2021
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
Three Muses the best ideas come as jokes. She presents events with irony and a «childlike perspective», diminishing pathos and transforming serious topics into magical stories about love and private life, all set against rich cultural and historical backdrops.
Dimensions: 45*53 cm
Year: 2021
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
Three Muses the best ideas come as jokes. She presents events with irony and a «childlike perspective», diminishing pathos and transforming serious topics into magical stories about love and private life, all set against rich cultural and historical backdrops.
Title: Kupala party
Medium: Canvas, tempera
Dimensions: 80*60cm
Year: 2019
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
This is a special night—an unusual celebration. It doesn’t matter who you are—a human, a spirit, a demon, or the water itself. The only thing that matters is knowing when to let go of reality and let the current carry you away.
Dimensions: 80*60cm
Year: 2019
Object Number:
Copyright: © Olya Lookoye
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Description:
This is a special night—an unusual celebration. It doesn’t matter who you are—a human, a spirit, a demon, or the water itself. The only thing that matters is knowing when to let go of reality and let the current carry you away.
Kupala party
Vasya went out for a walk
Three Muses
At night
Date
Starfall
Under the moon
Old friends
Childhood
Sasha Pushkin — sun of Russian poetry
Forest of Wonders
Child's sleep
I'm walking
Neighbour
Pioneer
Hellish work
Thumbelina's First Marriage
Malvina's family album
During school holidays at my grandma's
Homeland
Potatoes are blooming
Fly agaric milk
Koshchei's kingdom
Where the bogeymen take the bad girls
Scarlet flower
Everyone loves Malvina
Harvesting fly agarics