I’m Marysya Rudska, I’m an Ukrainian illustrator.
I do illustrations for adult and children’s books, popular science projects, magazines, advertising, and private commissions.
I work in a wide range of topics, from kids cartoons to natural history and portraits. My primary media are watercolours, ink and pencils, but I make digital art as well.
Clients: Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Birds, WWF Ukraine, The Old Lion Publishing House, Kunsht Magazine, DVV International Ukraine

“City letters” — is a project about the history of Odesa. The history is dwelt upon through versatile city inscriptions, signs, boards, street navigation elements, advertising, posters, etc.

You can learn the language of visual communication of the city and its inhabitants through these inscriptions. You can observe numerous changes of its regulations.

You can learn about the changes in the cultural level and generally about the quality of life in Odesa through them. A vast amount of theatrical posters, adverts and boards ruled in Odesa in the beginning of the previous century; as well as the cinema boards claimed it’s rights later with the night clubs and their boards having reigned in the beginning of the 2000s. A typical supermarket is now situated in the very heart of Odesa occupying the place of Daimler’s shop. Nothing has arisen in the place of Ford’s garages.

This project is, of course, about the city looks as well. Odesa used to have different periods of existence, still preserving its bright and recognizable look. Tsars, Revolutions, Romanian invasion, Soviet epoch, the bright dawn of the 20th century, Ukrainian independence were those periods. The elements of the city typography were the participants of these events. It seems Odesa is now influenced by gaudiness and overindulgence. Historical signs and boards are (mysteriously?) disappearing from facades and the city look is now changing extremely fast and irregular, to my mind. Therefore, preserving their history seems one of the most important tasks.

Of course, this project is about beauty. More of a thousand of illustrated typography objects look beautiful and help us imagine how the city may look if cleared from the gaudiness.

Inna Ruda is a children’s book illustrator, who also creates comics about dinosaur Rex and draws cats for the brand “Orner.” She was an author and an illustrator of the wimmelbuch “New Year Holidays” and works with such publishing houses as Old Lion, Kalamar, Portal, Book Club.

Kate Jacuszek – designer and illustrator. The main practise is lettering. She has 8 years experience in design and illustration. Kate was born in Lutsk (Ukraine). In 2008-2014 Kateryna studied at the Lviv National Academy of Arts (Graphic Design department). She has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. Now Kateryna lives and works in Kyiv. She works with graphic design, illustration, calligraphy and easel graphics.

“Home Reading” — is a project about Odessa and its role in world culture. It is a project about the city which used to be the motherland for many literary artists and those, who came to live and write there. We are making a list of places, which have been thoroughly described by authors of different periods and languages. It is the list of houses, which vanish with time, the list of beaches, squares, bridges and all those places which used to inspire writers and poets who in their return eternalized them in their works of art. We plan to establish memorable signs quoting the authors having described the place in question.

We do research work: read the works of art, study the archives and diaries, interact with museums, historians and publicists. We have collected more than 100 locations and several dozens of literary artists, who wrote about Odessa in Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, English, Bulagarian and Hebrew so far, still this number is growing.

We organize exhibitions, literary lectures ang public reading to popularize the project together with creating of memorable signs.

Ukrainian souvenir brand Nevpynno is devoted to revive the folklore heritage of Ukraine and preserve its current memetics. It was founded in 2016 by Eliash Strongowski.

Oksana Bula is an illustrator and author of Tukoni tribe world. The Tukoni are mysterious forest habitants connected with trees, animals and stars. At the field of picture book and graphic novel Oksana works with an image as the main narrative element. In year, 2019, Oksana’s picture book “Tukoni the forest habitant” has entered “The White raven” catalogue, a selection of International Children’s and Youth Literature.

We are a group of illustrators; got acquainted in 2019 at “Illustration Professium” course at Projector school. In our practice we go beyond digital 2D images, working with illustration in different dimensions: from animation to illustrated product. We all strive to experiment, communicate ideas through our pictures and make the world a better place; this is what unites us. Also we all are obsessed with self-reflection, that’s why we called ourselves “Who Am I”. Group members: Marharyta Safonova, Oksana Kurmaz, Kateryna Jacuszek, Olha Khorimarko, Nataliia Kozeko and Kateryna Mamchur.

The illustrator works in the field of book and graphic design. In her work she often uses ancient Ukrainian images, synthesizing them with modern styles and techniques of book illustration.