A joint statement from Slanted, PAGE, form and Grafikmagazin
There is an open letter from unnamed Russian designers and illustrators addressed to their government. The lines touch us because they express a deep love for their profession - and illustrate what remains of it when their own country goes to war.
As designers and illustrators, they say, they have learned "to be understanding and empathetic" in order to do their work effectively, to use the most advanced technology and "to speak a language that all people in the world understand - the language of visual communication". Their work is only possible when there is peace, they say. "The war that is unfolding at the initiative of the Russian government is destroying the country and underlines the importance of our profession."
But above all, the letter addresses colleagues, friends and relatives in Ukraine whose lives are in danger and pleads for honesty, openness and appreciation towards all people.
As creatives who design ourselves, but also as journalists who report on the proverbial boundless freedom and wealth of ideas of our craft, we want to lend our voice to these moving words. Communication helps to convey, dresses ideas in images, emphasizes free thinking and contributes to mutual understanding. Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people and all Russian citizens who reject the war.
