Olivera was born and raised in Serbia. She began her career designing costumes for Serbian theater and television after studying at Belgrade’s Academy of Fine Arts. In 1999, Gajic moved to the U.S., where she received a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Design. She has been living and working there ever since.

Olivera has 200+ theater, opera, dance, and film productions to her credit. Most notably: Jedermann (Salzburg Festival, Austria); God’s Ear (Vineyard Theatre); “Judgement of Paris”, “Snow White”; Le Serpent Rouge”; “Betting On the Mouse” (Company XIV); Film I am a Seagull (Chekhov Project Company); The Lucille Lake Project, etc.

Olivera’s work has been shown at exhibitions including the U.S. national exhibit at the 2004, 2007 & 2023 Prague Quadrennial and Curtain Call: Celebrating a Century of Women Designing for Live Performance (Lincoln Center), Costume at the Turn of the Century (Moscow), Vesuario a Scena (Mexico City) , OISTAT Sena (Rabat, Morocco), etc.

Olivera is a recipient of the 2004 NEA/TCG CDP for Designers, 2010 IT Award for Outstanding Costume Design, 2010 TDF/Irene Sharaff Young Master Award, Barrymore Award for Outstanding Costume Design and Bessie Award Recipient for Outstanding Visual Design.