Five Minutes with a Friend: Olesia Sekeresh

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, winter is truly settling in, and our thoughts are turning to the festive season. Selvedge’s Winter Fair poster continues to inspire us as we parade towards Christmas, capturing a sense of warmth, curiosity, and magic — a sentiment that reflects the artist behind it, Ukrainian illustrator Olesia Sekeresh.

Selvedge Winter Fair 2025 Poster by Olesia Sekeresh

Trained in graphic design at the Transcarpathian Art Institute, Sekeresh has always seen illustration as a kind of rediscovery, and a way to find her inner child while confronting the shadows that sometimes obscure it. Her work feels alive with this duality: light and thoughtful, playful yet deeply reflective. Whether creating editorial illustrations, posters, or immersive installations, she invites viewers into a world where storytelling and experimentation intertwine.

Illustrations for 'Crazy Carpathian Tale' by Olesia Sekeresh. Longlisted for the 2024 World Illustration Awards.

Sekeresh's creative path has led her from Ukraine to international recognition, with clients including Süddeutsche Zeitung, the German and Swiss Embassies in Kiev, and the EU Delegation to Ukraine. Her illustrations have been celebrated by Communication Arts (USA) and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (Italy), among others. Yet it is her ongoing curiosity and her passion for discovering new techniques and textures that truly define her practice.

Work in progress for ALPHABET OF TEXTILES: C is for Chopines. Olesia Sekeresh.

For Selvedge, Sekeresh brought her distinctive hand to “C is for Chopines” for Issue 127, Aurora, and now, to the Selvedge Winter Fair 2025 poster and animation. Her art reminds us, just as the season does, of the beauty in returning to creativity, to childhood wonder, and to the tactile joy of making...

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Image Credits:

Lead: ALPHABET OF TEXTILES: C is for Chopines. Olesia Sekeresh, 2025. Featured in Selvedge Issue 127, Aurora.

All further images as credited in photo captions.