An illustration for 2026 Calendar for MegaFon Tajikistan
I wanted to kick off the 2026 on a positive note, so I created an illustration for the MegaFon Tajikistan calendar.
I decided to try visualizing the idea of digital harmony — a balance between online and offline life — and to add some local flavor along the way. That meant incorporating traditional elements that feel familiar and recognizable to people from Central Asia, and especially Tajikistan.
I started with sketches, and at first I was planning to draw a female character. But traditionally, women don’t usually sit in this pose — mostly because of traditional clothing — and it would have looked a bit off in the context of local culture. I know this choice might seem a little odd to some, but in this case the male character simply made more sense, for more reasons than just that one.
Anyway, moving on.
The trickiest part of the illustration turned out to be the main character’s outerwear. I mixed patterns from different regions into one big visual mash-up and tried to give them a sense of life and movement. I have a soft spot for this kind of visual collage and use it quite often in my work. As it usually happens, the idea came out of nowhere: I once spotted furniture made from fabrics with all sorts of different ornaments stitched together. It struck me that this could work just as well in clothing — as a warm, unifying symbol you can literally wear.
The result is a somewhat blocky style with vibrant colors. I felt this approach works especially well with the typically rectangular, grid-based UI of most websites and apps — almost like the illustration naturally belongs in a digital interface.
The client was happy with the result, so I decided to take it a step further and animate it. That part was entirely my own initiative — I just really wanted to see those sweater patterns come to life, moving in a slightly hypnotic way, as if they’re trying to pull you in.
I also made a short video in collaboration with MegaFon, showing the process behind the illustration and capturing the overall vibe of the project. You can watch it here, or check out the original post for the full context.
The idea was to visualize something many of us seem to be missing these days — a little harmony between online and offline life. A world where one doesn’t get in the way of the other, but instead they get along nicely. Where we finally get enough sleep and see the sun more often than our screens. Have fun everyone!
