Looking at Viktoria Veisbrut's newest mural you would never guess her home country was at war.

Stylised versions of popular cartoon characters mingle with Ms Veisbrut's own imagined characters, relaxing, hanging out, and getting along.

Earlier this month, the Russian artist travelled to Australia for the Brisbane Street Art Festival, where, amid her country's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, she painted her vision for a better world on a wall at Brisbane's Howard Smith Wharves.

"It's kind of my dream, when people from different parts of the world can be just friends — and in general like countries — can be just friends," she said.

"They're just hanging out together, having fun, enjoying their life how they want to."

It is a utopian vision crystallised by Russia's conflict with Ukraine, which has changed her whole life.

"There [Ukraine] is completely nightmare," she said.

"Almost all people in Russia have relatives and people who they love in Ukraine — so it's sad and bad."

Ms Veisbrut said the invasion took her friends and family by surprise.

"It started very quick — and we didn't know," she said.

"I just think that it's kind of crazy what happened in the 21st century."

'A little bit apocalyptic'

Ms Veisbrut said it was a miracle she was able to secure a visa to Australia given the international backlash to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"A lot of my friends lost their jobs in a week, maybe, after, because they were working for foreign companies who declined to work with us," she said.

"Now it looks like a little bit apocalyptic … you go to the mall and all of these shops are closed, closed, closed."

She said most international festivals no longer want to work with her.

With her bank card blocked in most countries, she cannot display her work in foreign galleries either.

Ms Veisbrut's visa was approved on the day she was scheduled to travel to Australia – and she still cannot believe she had the opportunity to travel.

"It's a miracle that I get a visa here. I'm so happy for that," she said.