Learn how you, your organization or brand can join the visual resistance and/or support the Ukrainian relief efforts.
Background
The letter Z has become a symbol to support Putin’s Ukraine invasion. Originally seen on Russian military vehicles and personnel, it has since become a common pro-war symbol used also by the civilians, media and businesses supporting the unjustified aggression towards Ukraine.
Recent polls show that Putin’s inescapable pro-war propaganda is working and an increasing number of Russians already justify the war. The opposition is either fear-cloaked, fled the country, incarcerated or otherwise “disposed”.
The Czech Republic has already classified the “Z”-symbol as an equivalent to the swastika while Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia and other countries have outlawed its use as a symbol supporting Russia’s Ukraine war.
The Brief
The Z can be stroked over by a simple dash in order to change, even reverse, its meaning. The shape the dashed letter Z becomes has throughout history stood for positive and evoking things. It resembles a symbol for a Native American tribe Lakota. Lakota meaning friends or allies*. The hourglass shape is also known to portray equality and balance, sky and earth (as seen in the Ukrainian flag) and of course time. The more distinct hourglass form is also used by the Extinction Rebellion in their aim to halt mass extinction.
Learn how you, your organisation or brand can join the visual resistance and/or support the Ukrainian relief efforts
The Resistance
This a coalition of visual communication and branding professionals, artists, graffiti artists, designers, typographers, technologists and businesses who have joined forces in an attempt to cancel the “Z”-brand before it gains a stronger foothold in culture – in Russia or outside it.
We urge everyone to join and harness their creativity, talent and/or available visual assets to transform Putin’s pro-war brand and propaganda into hope and help for Ukraine. Welcome individual artists, designers, technologists, creative agencies, schools, companies, commercial brands, non-governmental organizations etc.
Currently aboard: Veli Creative Studio, Napa Agency, United Imaginations, Pastry Agency, Olarin Panimo, Pure Waste Clothing, Ville Salervo & SP, Eino & Dan, Juha Lahtinen, Loop, Deos, Trama, Ässä.
Learn how you, your organisation or brand can join the visual resistance and/or support the Ukrainian relief efforts.
Donations
At the moment the #counterstroke initiative consists of several NFT art pieces, graffiti works, typeface designs, posters, craft beers, printed shirts and other digital and physical artwork.
All participants are committed to either donate direct funds to Ukraine and/or to equip and inspire individuals, businesses, brands and organisations with visual ideas and creative assets to express their stand against Putin and the human rights violations and war crimes taking place in Ukraine.
Learn how you, your organisation or brand can join the visual resistance and/or support the Ukrainian relief efforts.
Join & Submit
Symbols are incredibly powerful and extremely so, when surrendered to the hands of tyrants. This is one way to strip an aggressor of his means to brand and spread poisonous propaganda, but the project naturally takes magnitude and momentum to succeed. And that’s why we wish to engage creators and cultural influencers in all walks of life.
So whether you’re an artist, a brand, part of gen Z, Jay-Z or just you, this is yours and everybody’s chance to join the fight. At least one of them.
Please share and use the content in the gallery and/or submit your art and ideas etc. by sharing it online. Use hashtags #counterstroke and #counterstrokeART. You can also specify your content with #counterstrokeNFT, #counterstrokeTYPE, #counterstrokeLOGO etc. The administrators will do their best to include as many works as possible in the gallery.
For press
