CBC Arts' July logo looks (and feels!) like summer

Every month, we feature a new take on the CBC Arts logo created by a Canadian artist. Check out our previous logos!

Overgrown gardens. Shorts and sundresses. Clear blue skies — interrupted by the occasional thunderstorm. These are just a few of the sights of summer, but when Pegah Peivandi imagines the liveliness of the season, she pictures something like her CBC Arts logo design. You're looking at it now: a digital illustration that's bursting with warmth and colour. 

Peivandi is a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist. "I am enamoured with electrified colour and textures that evoke a sense of surrealism, otherworldliness and wide-eyed wonder," she tells us, and she had plenty more to say about the things that inspire her work. Read on.

Name: Pegah Peivandi

Age: 26

Homebase: Toronto

Let's talk about your logo! What are we looking at?

An explosion of growth! I drew a symmetrical logo with weaving botanical elements and flora. Each element is unique, but they share similar features (e.g. coloured gradients, weaving organic forms or a specific shape).

What inspired the concept?

Summer in Toronto really inspired the concept. 

The city rapidly bursts with life and plants that have been defrosting for months. It's almost like you blink one second and there's an explosion of exponential warmth, as vivid colours and foliage suddenly fill the streets that used to feel so grey. 

That transformation made me want to create a botanical-focused logo that matches my current style — something warm and pleasing to the eye that evokes the "Ahhhh, I'm home again" feeling of summer.

What sources do you often turn to for ideas and inspiration?

For inspiration, I like to go to a number of places, but the spot I always visit first is Pinterest. It's a great site to organize ideas and it always has links to original sources so I know where I am getting my ideas from.

If not Pinterest, I really enjoy going to sites like the Creative Independent. It publishes essays by artists from all over the world who talk about their crafts, motivations, inspirations and daily lives. It often makes me feel less isolated in my experience and keeps my motivation going.

What's new in your world? What are you working on these days?

My world has been pretty hectic! I got laid off from my full-time job in December and ever since then, I've taken the leap to do art full-time. 

I am working on a number of small murals this summer, and I'm making stencils and spray painting for the first time. I'm getting my web shop together and applying to residencies and emerging artist programs where I can. It's been a tremendous learning experience investing in my art as a career. It's definitely nerve-wracking, but I truly believe being uncomfortable leads to the best kind of growth. 

What's the project you're most proud of?

This year, I had the immense privilege of being the festival artist for the Inside Out Film Festival in Toronto. I spent most of February, March and April this year drawing the artwork used for all their marketing. It was surreal seeing my work blown up to that scale. It was the hardest I have ever worked on a project and I loved every second of it. Plus, the opportunity to represent the queer community through such a special festival will always be treasured in my heart.

What's your favourite place to see art?

This is a tricky question! There are so many unique spots in the city to immerse yourself in locally made art, but I have to give a shout out to the Beguiling on College Street in Toronto. They're an independent comic and graphic novel store, and they have the largest selection of alternative, underground and avant-garde graphic storytelling in the country.

Going to their store over the years has always sparked such immense inspiration. Some of my favourite artists in the city have sold their work there. Without the Beguiling, I don't think I would have known how rich the city is with unique and talented illustrators — or even been inspired to start drawing myself! 

Who's the last artist you discovered online?

I recently discovered Alessandro Keegan on Pinterest while looking for some inspiration. He creates the most magnificent and unique pieces I've ever seen. They make me feel like I am on another planet because his colour palettes and compositions are so unexpected. He challenges me to think outside the box more, to not be afraid to play with abstract ideas, and also lean into my other hobbies/interests. (He is also a gemologist!) We can find inspiration everywhere and anywhere. Our identities are vast and dynamic.

What work of art do you wish you owned?

Oooh, absolutely anything by Hilma af Klint. 

Where can we see more from you?

You can find me on instagram at @pegahpeivandi and from there you'll have access to my most recent projects as well as a link to my website. 

This conversation has been edited and condensed.