Olivia Potts (Harsham) is a painter residing in Seattle, Washington. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting from the University of Tampa in 2011, and her Master of Arts degree in Intercultural Studies from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2014. She and her husband moved to New York City, where Olivia continued painting, then entered the enchanting realm of motherhood. Her children have greatly impacted her work, first by forcing a hiatus from painting altogether, and later by introducing her to new ways of seeing the world. Her family moved to Seattle in 2022, where she is endlessly inspired by the PNW landscape.

Olivia’s work explores the nuances of the human condition. Her early work utilizes perspectives from other cultures in addressing conflict, while her current work focuses in on the internal conflict and perspectives of neurodivergence.

A note from Olivia on her early work in light of the Palestinian genocide:

“I am sometimes hesitant to continue sharing my early paintings. My senior thesis show was based on the separation wall in Israel/Palestine. My understanding of life and the world at large has grown and many of my early paintings don't seem to "fit" me anymore. These pieces reflect someone who was only just beginning to discover the workings of the world, who knew things weren't as they should be, but didn't know where to go from there.

In my early twenties, I assumed peacemaking was a matter of simply acknowledging the humanity on each side of a conflict. I was naive to the pull of power and the silencing of the oppressed.

While acknowledging each other’s dignity is of course central to justice, it is not sufficient to bring change or true goodness. I’ve come to know that seeking justice is active inclusion and elevation of the oppressed, more than mere awareness (my work in the realm of disability justice has proven this as well). It requires a commitment to sacrificing power and control. Leveraging that power for the holistic wellbeing of all. To hate evil, love good, and seek justice demands more of us than pity and prayers. Maybe my thinking still sounds naive. But I have hope in the midst of darkness.”