Oma Orell was born in the metropolis of Perm, Russia. The national culture was a challenge to the little child. She was tutored as early as at the age of two and art galleries and museums were regularly visited during the elementary studies. Ma had her first exhibition at 12 and her interest in art took her to the Perm School of Arts.
Oma´s own wanderings began in 1986, when she managed to get to St. Petersburg during the perestroika. There her teachers were D. A. Shuvalov, V.G. Vlasov, E.I. Troitsky, R.P. Kuriljak, V.S. Kucharovski, V.P. Petrov, N.A. Chagalidze and A.P. Zaitsev. Her four years´studies in ST. Petersburg Oma paid by painting portraits. Hundreds of foreign tourists remember her. The amount of portraits she painted in this city exceeds 3,000.
Oma Orell is an expert both in abstract and realistic painting and her subjects are unlimited. This is because of the heritage of the Russian art based especially on the German and French impressions. The connections between the Russian painting and the Central European art are continuos and intimate. Oma Orell lives in Finland. The Finnish Cultural Fund has supported Oma Orell in 1993, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2004,2005, 2006 and 2010.
Life is a gift of God”, says The Bible. In all my work I want to express warmth and joy. I hope my paintings project light, happiness and zest for life.
Everybody needs the sunlight, because it means life. Ecclesiastes (11.7) say: “Truly the light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun.” How can I draw the sunlight? The nature is much stronger than my brush and my colours . Can I through my paintings convey people my message: Life is worth living, after all?
Ecclesiastes (8:15) say: “So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labour for the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.”
I will never get tired of admiring paintings that bear living life, warmth and harmony. However, I believe that nobody can beat nature as an artist, its creativity, strength, storm and sun.
This is my way. I paint so that it is easy to see, whether my work is a portrait or a landscape. I do not want to paint in symbolistic style. If people desire for wise ideas, they can be fount in books. I believe that the picture is always the first signal, the second one is the word.
Oma Orell