Olga Severina shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Olga, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What battle are you avoiding?
I’m a master at filling every moment with a new task – another email, another project that “just needs to be finished.” I keep telling myself I’ll take a break once I finish this one last thing, but there’s always another task waiting in the wings. By now, the idea of taking a break is almost foreign to me. I understand the concept, and I know I should really find the time to just decompress at least now and again, but my constant desire to create always drives me towards yet another project.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a graphic designer, lecturer, and the founder and curator of a PosterTerritory initiative where I launch poster exhibits focused on political and social issues of the modern world.
I’m a true believer. I know that art and creativity have the power to change the world. That is why I produce international poster exhibitions and graphic art shows. This year, together with my partners, we launched two poster calls in Los Angeles. The first one was a part of the LA Design Festival that took place in June. Posters submitted for this event were showcased at Helms Bakery District. “10 Degrees Cooler” poster campaign, which we organized together with Studio One 11, was the second event, which was held at Long Beach Design District. For that campaign we invited the public to experience Long Beach through the lens of design, identity, and creative dialogue. Our collections are currently on display at LB Downtown and LB Airport.
A passionate promoter of the contemporary poster, I write books and articles for design magazines and blogs, where I explore the latest trends in visual expression. This fall Bloomsbury Publishing is bringing to life a new book called “Women Graphic Designers”. This work features illustrated essays of 42 undervalued and marginalized female graphic designers from diverse cultural backgrounds who worked professionally during the 20th century. Thanks to book editor Prof. Elizabeth Resnick, I was honored to be one of the contributors.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I studied Art and Visual Communication at Kharkiv State Academy of Arts and Design (Ukraine) — a school with rich artistic traditions that have their roots in Russian avant-garde and Ukrainian easel painting.
During my studies, I became involved with The 4th Block — an International Environmental Poster Exhibition named after nuclear reactor number 4, which was destroyed in the Chornobyl disaster. This project became a crucial milestone in my development because it exposed me to some of the most influential works in contemporary graphic arts. It was then that I truly fell in love with the poster, a love affair that has driven me ever since.
Today, I work not only in the design field as a brand/identity designer, but as a curator and co-founder of Rukh Art Hub, a women-run creative initiative and consulting platform based in New York that is committed to providing unique art experiences for the audience and empowering and promoting emerging and established artists. Cultural diplomacy is my focus today.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Believe in yourself like you believe in those you love.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
I’m not necessarily a very public person by nature. I’m being the most public when I launch and curate poster exhibitions, and those are the instances when I, indeed, am being true to myself. Me at a graphic art show is a real me, because I truly believe in what I do! I honestly believe in the power behind the poster – I’ve seen what a compelling poster campaign can achieve. Never mind a campaign, a single poster, if it is powerful enough, inspiring enough, or provoking enough, can alter the course of history.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If immortality were real, what would you build?
I would build more places and/or institutions that promote beauty. If we had all the time in the world, I’d spend all that time enjoying the beauty around us, while also publicizing everything beautiful and amazing that our world has to offer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.posterterritory.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/posterterritory/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olga-severina/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PosterTerritory/
- Other: https://olgaseverina.com/
https://www.ladesignfestival.org/
Image Credits
1. Olga Severina’s Photo by Monica Nouwens
2. Photos or 10 Degrees Cooles International Poster campaign by Long Beach Design District at Downtown Long Beach and Long Beach Airport (LED screen) Photos by Olga Severina and Kathy Lin
3. Los Angeles Design Festival 2025, “Design Futurism” International Poster Call, Helms Bakery District, Corridor Gallery, and Digital Projection
Photos by Olga Severina
4. Animation for Bankov Poster School
To mark the 5th anniversary of the School of Peter Bankov @peter_bankov
Group Project with 12 graphic designers — all alumni of Peter Bankov’s School created an animation, Times Square NYC.
with @art.innovation.gallery
