Through colors and conceptual exploration, Olek’s art examines sexuality, feminism, and communication with detail and candor. Olek, born Agata Oleksiak, uses the ephemeral medium of yarn to create a metaphor for the complexity and interconnectedness of our bodies and experiences. In her work, bursts of bright colors interweave with political and cultural critiques. Whether protesting domestic violence in India; highlighting the struggles and hopes of Syrian refugee women in Sweden; fighting for equal rights for the LGBTQ community in Russia; or raising awareness of ocean pollution in Mexico, Olek’s work explores the sociocultural challenges of our time in hopes of creating real change.

Her sculptures and performances have been shown in galleries, museums, and public spaces worldwide, including Art Basel and Wynwood Walls in Miami; the Brooklyn Museum in New York; and the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. Her work is included in the permanent collections at URBAN NATION Museum for Contemporary Urban Art in Berlin; Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam; the Avesta Art Museum in Avesta, Sweden; and the New York Historical Society.