Folk art is a way of living. It’s so much more than painting and story telling, it’s the life style that reflects your philosophy and attitude.

Hello! My name is Dinara Mirtalipova and I’m a modern day Folklorist, it means that I view myself as a folk artist and in my illustration practices I apply a more naive and intuitive storytelling perspective.

I was born and raised in a little city in Central Asia - Tashkent, Uzbekistan during the Soviet Era. It has not been wildly known to the world simply because it’s been under the Soviet umbrella for over hundred years. After system of governance collapse there was a time period in history when big migration took place. My family was among those who packed up their belongings and found a new place to grow roots. Since that time I call myself a Midwestern Ohioan, but my heart still bleed for the wonderful nostalgic time in my memory when the Cherry tree in my grandmother’s year grew ever so tall it felt impossible to climb it all the way to the top.

I went through my adulthood learning to navigate through life experiences and I have met wonderful friends, colleagues, I was so fortunate to work and collaborate on exciting projects. My client list grew, including brands like Godiva, Max Mara, Netflix, NY Times, The United Nations, Johnson & Johnson and so many others. I have traveled to Milan’s Fashion Week, Bologna Book fair, The United Nations HQ in New York. I have published and have collaborated on a range of Children’s Books and Fairytale stories, including Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Russian Folk Tales and many others.

I describe my style as Modern Folk. Folk Art is a broad term, it means the art of people and includes everything that is touched and created by people, like quilts, decorative objects, kitchen utensils, carving wood and weaving a textile. I call myself a folklorist because I’m genuinely interested learning about cultures, traditions, songs and storytelling. My personal work comes from my heart and my main focus is communicating emotions. It’s not about accuracy and precision, it’s about how the artwork makes you feel. I’m not afraid to experiment and try new mediums and I often explore new techniques.

In this blog you will find positing of my personal practice and my journey through art world. Please come back check on me periodically. If you’re an art director willing to collaborate on a project - please feel free to email me at hello@mirdinara.com

Thank you,

Dinara Mirtalipova / a Modern Folk Illustrator, an amateur Story Teller