Tabban Soleimani aka bonblivious is a talented illustrator based at Toronto, Canada. Her quirky humor makes her work distinct and fun to watch. We came across her fantastic illustrations and animated GIFs and decided to feature some of her work with her inputs as under:

Hi Tabban! What’s Tabban?

Tabban (pron: teh.bon) is a 20-something year old illustrator based out of Toronto. She moved to Canada at the age of ten with her family. Sometime during her teenage years she came up with the alias ‘bonblivious’ by combining one of her nicknames “bon” with the word “oblivious”. Later on she attended Ontario College of Art and Design University where she majored in illustration. She’s currently freelancing and compulsively buying sneakers.

How did you become an artist, Tabban?

Growing up, a family friend who was a cartoonist really inspired me. I remember thinking to myself this is what I want to do. But, as I got older, the idea of being an artist wasn’t at the forefront. It was at the very end of high school that it became apparent what my interests were. I was convinced I wanted to be a graphic designer till my art teacher saw my sketchbook and recommended illustration. I did some research to learn more and, well, here I am today.

Most of your work is full of fun stuff. Does it reflect your personality?

I’ve never really thought about it but I like to think that my work is an extension of my personality, for sure.

Tell us about your creative mode. When do you find an illustration perfect?

I have little rituals that make my work flow easier. The right playlist, a clean desk, and lots of snacks. As far as the perfect illustration: it doesn’t exist. There’s always room for improvement but to get there the answer is balance. A balance between authenticity, clarity in message, avoiding clichés, and simplicity. The best ideas for me are the ones that are direct and usually over-looked. You want people to think “shit, I wish I thought of that.”

What’s next? Your aspirations, inspirations, future projects, etc.?

I’m pretty open to whatever the future has in store for me as long as I get to do it by my own rules. I want to curate, design, work with brands, do commercial work, have solo shows, collaborate with other creatives, shift culture…etc. I’m going to do it all.

Tell us about your favorite stuff: artists, quotes, films, music etc.

Film: Anything by Wes Anderson or Quentin Tarantino. And honestly, if Leonardo DiCaprio is in it it’s probably already a favourite.

Artists: David Shrigley is hands down #1.

Music: I mostly listen to hip hop, trap, electro, dancehall and sometimes jazz.

Quotes: “The right time is always right now” by Casey Neistat.

Say something to our readers or aspiring artists:

Sometimes the grass on the other side is fake. Be kind to yourself. Pizza is always a good idea.

Tabban Soleimani : Website | Instagram | Twitter

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Note: Note: All artwork images are the exclusive property of the artist/photographer and protected under the International Copyright laws. Their copying and reproduction in any manner is strictly prohibited without the express permission of the owner.