Vladimir Dal: A Life in Words
Visual Direction, Illustration & Exhibition Design
United Nations Headquarters, New York
2026
This project forms part of a two-year collaboration creating visual concepts and exhibition materials for cultural programming presented at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
For the 2026 program, I developed the visual direction for an exhibition centered on Vladimir Dal, a nineteenth-century writer, lexicographer, and folklorist whose work documented the richness and expressive character of language.
The visual system combines portrait illustration, handwritten text, custom calligraphy, ornamental forms, and a restrained red, cream, and blue palette. Dal’s words and manuscripts became an active part of the imagery: handwritten passages form trees, books, architectural shapes, and details within the central portrait, connecting language with ideas of memory, heritage, and continuity.
I designed a coordinated series of large-format exhibition banners introducing selected historic words and their meanings to an English-speaking audience. The system was extended across event graphics, presentation materials, and a collection of illustrated postcards featuring expressive words selected from Dal’s dictionary.
In addition to developing the visual concept and exhibition assets, I participated in the program at United Nations Headquarters through live calligraphy, presentation, and workshop activities.
Role: Visual Direction, Illustration, Lettering, Exhibition Design & Live Calligraphy
Deliverables: Exhibition Graphics, Large-Format Banners, Portrait Illustration, Event Materials, Presentation Design & Postcard Series
