Olga Prinku
Moldovan/British, b. 1982

Olga Prinku (b. 1982, Moldova) is the originator of the craft known as  “flowers-on-tulle” embroidery. 

Olga grew up in the Republic of Moldova and now lives in North Yorkshire, where the surrounding countryside provides both inspiration and materials for her work. She stitches with dried and preserved flowers, foliage, grasses, twigs, seed heads, and berries to create delicate floral patterns and bio-tapestries. Her practice is a homage to the wonders and beauty of the natural world. Olga’s work is deeply rooted in nature, circularity, and traditional craft.

Entirely self-taught, she developed this unique art form through exploration of both technique and material.

Olga uses a variety of methods to attach her botanical materials, including stitching and weaving the stems, some as fine as a third of a millimetre wide. It’s an intricate, meditative process that requires immense dedication, precision, and an intuitive sensitivity to the breaking point of each fragile element held between her fingertips.

Often working freestyle, Olga allows the plants to guide her hand, shaping the composition organically as she responds to their natural forms and rhythms within the space. Through delicate compositions, she reflects on the fragility and resilience of nature, inviting us to consider our relationship with it in new and meaningful ways.