Published on: 2026-09-05
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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Today her works adorn homes throughout Moldova and far beyond its borders – in various countries across Europe. For the artist herself, known by the pseudonym iZZY iZVNE, graffiti remains what it was many years ago – a way of communicating with the world.
“I am a very reserved person,” says Inna. “There have been times when I felt like I was drifting aimlessly against the current. But, looking back, I realize: everything I had to go through today helps me share my experience with children and young people.”
Forms, meanings, and new interpretations
Today, Inna is engaged in graffiti and street art, is the founder of the Urban Spirit Family collective, and coordinates projects involving children and young people from all corners of Moldova.
In recent years, Inna’s team has transformed dozens of city walls into large-scale murals dedicated to human rights, gender equality, environmental protection, and ethics. However, when the artist is asked about the main thing in such projects, she talks not about the sizes or the difficulties of executing the painting.
“We don’t just come and paint a wall,” she says. “First of all, we talk with the children, listen to them, and then together we come up with the concept of the future mural. In the end, they see that they have contributed their hand to the work. They feel that their voice is important and that they are capable of changing the spaces around them.”
Inna does not seek to completely control the creative process. Her own works emerge from a clearly formulated artistic concept, but the master classes are structured differently. Every child brings their own ideas, so the final result can never be predicted in advance: “We do not tell them what to do or limit their imagination. We trust their own understanding of creativity.”
© UNDP in Moldova Over ten years of work, Inna and the Urban Spirit Family team have traveled to practically all regions of Moldova.
A window to the world of Izzy
Inna is known for a distinctive artistic style based on three-dimensional forms and calligraphy. For almost ten years, she has been developing her own visual language.
Even her creative pseudonym reflects her worldview. The name iZZY appeared long before she became acquainted with graffiti, while iZVNE symbolizes the desire to open a window into the inner world through art.
The path to current recognition was not easy for Inna. When she first entered the world of graffiti, she quickly realized that she was stepping into a territory where there were few women and where they were viewed with skepticism. At first, she didn’t even realize how different the attitudes towards men and women were in this field.
“I sincerely believed that equal opportunities were open to women. Only after becoming part of this community did I see how much reality differs from my expectations,” recalls Inna.
Art beyond stereotypes
For many years, Inna had to master not only the technique and discipline of street art but also learn to overcome prejudices. For someone who considers herself an introvert, such pressure was especially difficult: “There were very tough moments. Sometimes it seemed that some people tried to stop me simply because I was present nearby. At some point, I realized that the problem was not in me, but in the system around me.”
From the purely personal – to a language understandable to everyone
Looking back, Inna says that this experience was exactly what changed the trajectory of her creativity. If graffiti used to be primarily a means of personal self-expression, today it is a tool that helps to believe in the value of one’s own ideas.
Children and teenagers whom Inna works with are not taught to draw perfectly. They are encouraged to talk about what they think and feel, and the drawing becomes the language of this conversation.
Over ten years of work, Inna and the Urban Spirit Family team have visited practically every region of Moldova. Although the projects are also carried out in cities, the strongest impressions, according to her, are left by small settlements where children have fewer opportunities to engage in creativity and where their opinions are not asked as often.
“We like to work where such initiatives are almost nonexistent,” says the artist. “For local children and youth, our projects become a real breath of fresh air. We usually choose the walls of schools, stadiums, or other places meaningful to young people.”
© UNDP in Moldova The mural continues to live even after the master class ends: it becomes an invitation to dialogue.
According to the artist, it is always noticeable how important it is for children to be heard: “Their eyes light up when they realize that someone genuinely cares about their opinion.”
A mural is just the visible part of a much larger process. Before the first outline appears on the wall, the children discuss ideas, share their thoughts, and together form the message they want to leave to those around them.
“It is very important for us that this work belongs to them,” emphasizes Inna. “We do not strive for a perfect result. What matters to us is that they recognize themselves in what we have created and feel proud of creating an image that will remain here for many years.”
Mural as the beginning of a conversation
The mural continues to live even after the master class is over: it becomes an invitation to dialogue. Children pass by it every day. Parents pay attention to it. Teachers discuss it in lessons. A work created in one day can become a starting point for conversations that otherwise would never have happened.
“This is how a dialogue is born with society, with parents, teachers, and everyone who sees the mural,” explains Inna. “Children begin to understand that their voice matters and that they are capable of changing their environment.”
Sometimes such conversations can be difficult.
Inna recalls a workshop in one of the villages in southern Moldova dedicated to gender equality and human rights. Some participants expressed views shaped by traditional upbringing, so the discussion turned tense. At some point, some of the children left, but others stayed.
They continued to discuss, ask questions, and eventually created a drawing together.
“This experience once again showed me how important such meetings are,” says the artist. “Even if it’s impossible to convince everyone in one day, you can create a space where people will hear a different point of view.”
Such stories only strengthen her belief in the power of art to connect people: “Art is a language that young people understand perfectly. It does not force you to memorize the right answers or dictate what to think. It invites participation, asking questions, and self-expression.”
Graffiti classes often attract teenagers who are initially little interested in topics like human rights or decency. Some come for the art itself, some want to try working with spray paint, and some are simply looking for a new experience. But gradually many realize that it’s not just about drawing.
“Some come solely because of the graffiti,” says Inna, “and then stay for the socializing. When we return to the same places a year or two later, we see that young people discuss issues of equality, human rights, and other social topics much more openly.”
© UNDP in Moldova Inna and the Urban Spirit Family team cooperate with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Public Space Beacons
The impact of such projects is measured not only by the number of works created and the number of participants. It also manifests in how the communities themselves begin to perceive these images.
In many cities where Urban Spirit Family created murals, they eventually became local landmarks and a source of communal pride.
Today, Inna looks back on the path she has traveled with gratitude. Not because her works have appeared in different countries or because she has managed to create a recognizable style, but because she sees how her creativity changes people: “The energy we receive from children is priceless. Every time it seems to us that we receive much more than we give. That is exactly why I know: I am doing what I truly should.”
Cooperation with UNDP
Inna and the Urban Spirit Family team collaborate with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to promote the principles of integrity, civic engagement, mutual respect, and environmental responsibility.
The slogan “Choose Honesty” became the central message of a series of murals created by young people whom the European Union and UNDP involved in initiatives to promote honest and ethical behavior.
Murals “Protect the Dniester!” in the city of Rezina and “Water is Life. Protect the Dniester!” in the village of Talmaz, Stefan-Vodă district, convey through art the messages of children and youth who participated in projects supported by Sweden and UNDP. These works remind us of the importance of preserving the Dniester River and of each person’s personal responsibility for water resources.
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