Born in Sakhalin, Russia, in 1958, Olia Bseiso showed an early and enduring affinity for art in all its forms — drawing, embroidery, knitting, and sculpture. She studied at the Moscow National University of Fine Art and earned a Master of Science in Engineering in 1981.

After marrying Wajih Bseiso, a Palestinian from Gaza, she moved to Jordan, where she immersed herself in the rich artistic traditions of the Middle East. Her home and studio in Amman became a working gallery, its rooms filled with oil paintings, burnt wood pieces, embroidered cushions, and stained glass. She has also lived in Canada and the United States.

Olia's art draws from the intersection of the cultures she has inhabited. Her work spans three primary mediums:

Pyrography — burning images and ornamental patterns into wood. Her subjects include Orthodox icons, decorative boxes, Easter eggs, and wall plaques, rooted in the Russian decorative arts tradition.

Palestinian cross stitch embroidery — hand-stitched works using traditional Palestinian motifs and patterns, a craft she embraced through her connection to the Bseiso family and Palestinian culture. Her embroidery includes greeting cards, dolls in traditional dress, framed pictures, and a full map of Palestine rendered entirely in cross stitch.

Glass painting — stained-glass-style painting on glass, creating the luminous effect of traditional stained glass without the structural demands. Her glass work ranges from decorative panels, mirrors, and room partition walls to vases, bowls, and upcycled bottles and jars. She has created decorative glass for residential, commercial, and religious settings.

Over the course of her career, Olia has participated in more than twenty exhibitions around the world. Her work can be found in private collections across all continents, held by royalty, dignitaries, and collectors.

Olia's specialty is custom design. She works closely with clients to create pieces suited to their space and vision, and she takes particular pleasure in repurposing and recycling materials into something beautiful.

Today, she creates very selectively. This portfolio represents decades of dedicated practice across three traditions and three continents.