Dinara Mirtalipova is an award-winning folk artist, illustrator, and surface designer whose work celebrates storytelling, cultural heritage, and the enduring power of folk traditions. Drawing on the visual language of her Uzbek roots, Mirtalipova combines bold floral motifs, bright primary colors, and intricate patterns to create richly detailed imagery that evokes the timeless world of fairytales and folklore.

Working primarily in gouache, pencil, and block printing, she crafts narrative-driven illustrations that balance handcrafted warmth with imaginative storytelling. Her work has appeared in books, textiles, and large-scale public art installations throughout the United States and abroad.

Mirtalipova’s illustrations have received widespread recognition, including the 2024 Crystal Kite Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators for Woven of the World; the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection for The Ramadan Drummer (2023); the Silver Medal from the Society of Illustrators, New York (2023); the Award of Excellence from Communication Arts (2023); and the Bologna Ragazzi Award Special Mention in Non-Fiction at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, Italy (2023).

Her recent exhibitions include Folktale: A Journey Through Illustrated Worlds at the Waterloo Arts Center (2024); Birdsong at the Akron Art Museum (2024); The Original Art 2024 at the Society of Illustrators, New York; and ICON12 Gallery Show in Minneapolis (2024).

Based in Northeast Ohio, Mirtalipova is also an Assistant Professor of Illustration at the Cleveland Institute of Art, where she mentors emerging artists while continuing her practice of transforming traditional folklore into contemporary visual storytelling.

Go to her website for a list of her award, publications and speaking events. https://www.mirdinara.com