A first generation Canadian, Olex grew up connected to his Ukrainian heritage through family stories, culture, books, and film.
As for subject matter, Olexander's work has often mirrored social realism and Ukrainian and Eastern European visual history. Olexander continues to return to his Ukrainian roots as a touchstone for meaningful reflection and refining his craft. The subject of Olexander's work are often scenes from various films, mostly European, from the 1960s. Olex’s fascination for film comes from time spent as a child watching his father’s collection of Soviet era Ukrainian films. He selects a turning point in the movie, captures it in charcoal, often framing it in shades of black like a movie film negative and injects emotional content.