Started as a way to cope. Accidentally became a brand (with merch, a blog, and... a functioning Shopify store).
WHY & SEE
The world paused.
We picked up pencils.
PORTRAITS OF A PANDEMIC
INSTAGRAM | @PORTRAITSOFAPANDEMIC
WEBSITE | PORTRAITSOFAPANDEMIC.COM
I could tell you what this was—but honestly, Yana said it better:
”When the COVID-19 pandemic became a grave reality, my creative partner and I found ourselves and others expressing our raw emotions through art, poetry, baking and TikTok dances (ok maybe not the dancing because we both have two left feet). We created Portraits of a Pandemic to shine a light on how we're all coping and connecting.”
But also: we learned how to build a website from scratch, plan content calendars, gain followers, design merch, send email campaigns—and somehow make a pandemic project feel playful and purposeful.
WHY & SEE
A visual diary of the internet’s emotional state.
“I must say, this page has given us some serious, literal comic relief. Our work focuses on what’s relevant, what people are talking about.
The posts hope to inspire the creative community, share our take on how life is evolving during the pandemic, and amplify important social issues.”
↑ That’s Yana again. And yes, we really did try to keep up with everything. Some days it was homemade baguettes. Some days it was burnout. Either way, we wrote it down.
“We had a blast, and every time I revisit this page on my portfolio, I am proud and re-inspired by our illustrations, blogs, shop—and most importantly, the lessons we learned about compassion, resilience, commitment, and perseverance.”
Same here. Proud of the work—but even prouder of the creative partner I made it with.
