Diana Issa is a Belarusian artist and emerging designer whose practice is rooted in storytelling as a form of resistance and cultural preservation. Growing up under an authoritarian regime where expression was censored, Diana came to see art as freedom. In 2020, when Belarusians protested for democracy, collective creativity—women marching in white, protest posters, and music—transformed hope and desire to be free into art. These experiences deepened Diana’s belief that design has the power to preserve culture, and inspire change. 

At Whitman College, where Diana studied Art, her visual voice began to take form. Projects often drew from personal experience, reflecting both the pain and inspiration of seeking freedom under dictatorship. Her works consistently referenced Belarusian cultural elements, shaping a distinct aesthetic language. As Editor-in-Chief of the Freedom Songs Zine, Diana brought together faculty and student contributions into a publication inspired by the 2020 protests. Using the symbolic red and white motifs of peace and sacrifice, the project became both a space for community dialogue and an exploration of editorial design. This deepened Diana’s interest in publishing and book design as tools for learning and change. Typography has since become central to her practice. Diana sees type as voice—a means of keeping the Belarusian language visible, readable, and alive. Her senior thesis, dedicated to creating a Belarusian script typeface, addressed the colonial pressures and government discouragement that have placed the language at risk of disappearance. By designing a type for Belarusian language, she aims to protect Belarusian identity through design. Diana’s journey has also been shaped by resilience and adaptability. Leaving Belarus under political pressure and studying abroad in China, Denmark, the U.S., and Austria, reinforced her belief in collaboration, empathy, and intercultural exchange as essential elements of artistic growth. Now pursuing graduate study in Graphic Design at the University of Washington, Diana seeks to expand her knowledge on typography, publishing, and socially engaged design. For Diana, design is more than aesthetics—it is a way to shape narratives, preserve identity, and imagine futures where art and culture remain inseparable from freedom.