Tamara Mezina

I am an illustrator specializing in digital-based visual methods. Over more than ten years as an illustrator, I’ve undertaken various projects, ranging from standard commissions as book illustrations and posters for music festivals to unconventional tasks such as creating illustrations for a avant-garde space-themed carpet.
Two and a half years ago, I relocated from Russia to Finland. Despite my focus on learning Finnish, I continued my passion for illustration and created illustrations reflecting our new life in this northern country.
As part of the integration course, I undertook a 6-week internship at Napa Agency, an illustration agency in Finland. I assisted in preparations for a two-day event during the Helsinki Design Week, designing promotional materials for the agency’s social media and website.
As part of a design course at Laurea University, I also created illustrations for ideation cards for a real project at XAMK University, that offers Future Thinking courses for micro and small businesses.
My recent project involves creating a lot of sketched illustrations and animating them for 7 video for an international project. The project entails an album of lullabies in 7 different languages, featuring musicians from various countries including the UK, Georgia, Belarus, Spain, Russia, Canada, and the Czech Republic.
I volunteer at Helsinki Creative Morning, the event, which takes place once a month at the Helsinki Design Museum, gathers creative speakers and individuals together, sharing positive emotions. I produce illustrations to introduce volunteers and partners to the audience.
For me, as an illustrator, the relocation has been a time of refreshing and modernizing my creativity. When creating illustrations, I strive to reflect the diversity and inclusivity of society. I believe that art has the power to inspire, unite, and foster understanding, and I am grateful to use my talent to support values of Finnish society.