Zarina Saidova Mingazova

Zarina Saidova Mingazova (b. 1992) is an artist, illustrator, and comics creator born in Kazakhstan and raised in Norway. She is currently based in Oslo, working as an illustrator. Zarina holds a Master’s degree in Illustration and Graphic Design from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts and is the co-founder of the independent publishing house Træsh.

Her practice combines drawing, publishing, and installation, exploring themes of nature, language, and symbolism through both playful and contemplative imagery. Zarina has shown her work internationally and has received several awards for her projects.

During her residency at MQ Zarina Saidova Mingazova works on “Conversation with the Sun”, a visual narrative exploring themes of identity, belonging, and transformation. The story follows a girl who wakes up in an unfamiliar desert and begins a journey through shifting landscapes — encountering stones, nature and animals — asking each one the same question: “Where is the sun?”

Through these encounters, the work reflects on the search for origin and direction, the feeling of waking up somewhere unknown, and the desire to connect with something constant and universal.

The project takes the form of a fanzine and an accompanying typographic work, featuring a custom typeface called “Sol”, designed especially for the narrative. Combining illustration, language, and symbolism, “Conversation with the Sun” moves between myth and personal experience, inviting the viewer to read it as both a story and a meditative journey.