The Parliament of the Republic of Moldova is hosting two art exhibitions featuring works by Moldovan artists living in the diaspora: illustrator Olga Chilat from Belgium and visual artist Snejana Teclia from Norway.
The exhibitions give visitors an opportunity to discover the work of artists who, despite living far from Moldova, maintain a strong connection with their home country and continue to explore it through art. Their works address themes including roots, identity, traditions, memory and connections to one’s homeland.
Olga Chilat is a Moldovan-born illustrator based in Brussels, where she works as an economist at the European Commission. She is also the creator of the ethnographic project “Olgutsa Gugutsa,” which has served for more than five years as an emotional reference point for people searching for their own sense of home.
Her exhibition, “Roots of the Future – Folklore Translated into Contemporary Illustration,” features works inspired by Romanian mythology, characters from traditional fairy tales and tarot cards reinterpreted through the lens of folklore.
The exhibition includes works such as “Ileana Cosanzeana and Fat-Frumos,” “The Magical Bird,” “Dragobete,” “Paparudele,” “Baba Dochia,” “Transhumance,” “Wheel of Fortune,” “Green Emperor,” “The Moldovan Shepherd” and “Dragaica.”
“It is impressive to see your own works at Parliament. Each illustration has a story behind it, based on research from various literary sources and inspired by tradition. The illustrations contain different symbols that viewers can decipher,” Chilat said.
She cited “The Moldovan Shepherd” as an example, explaining that the illustration depicts the character suspended between worlds, with a wedding wreath held by the sun and moon and a funeral wreath made of fir trees, referring to the traditional motif of a wedding in heaven.
Snejana Teclia is a visual artist, university lecturer and advocate for arts education among Romanian-speaking communities in Norway. Her exhibition, “Beyond the Threshold,” features works created in watercolor, gouache and graphic art.
The exhibition includes “The Parental Home,” “The Nest,” “Loneliness,” “Between Two Shores” and “Together.” Her paintings focus on people living far from home who, like the artist herself, have learned to carry several places within a single identity.
Through her work, Teclia creates an artistic bridge between Moldova and Norway.
“The fact that the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova opens its spaces to Moldovan artists from the diaspora is an important gesture of support for culture and, at the same time, a way to reconnect with those who continue to create and represent Moldova beyond its borders,” Teclia said.
The exhibitions are being held as part of Diaspora Days 2026, an annual series of events held in August. They are organized in partnership with the Bureau for Diaspora Relations and will remain open to Parliament visitors until August 21.
