Someone is turning Toronto's most iconic landmarks into awesome cartoons
Toronto-based artist Pouya Sayyedi is a true renaissance man.
The 29-year-old U of T engineering grad, who goes by @pouyasnap online, moved to Toronto thirteen years ago from Tehran and has since worked as a mechanical design engineer, an illustrator, a UI/UX designer, a graphic designer, and now a full time visual artist.
Cartoons have always been his passion, but it wasn't until the release of Snapchat (with its hand doodling capabilities) that he discovered a "finger with a sense of humour."
"In my art, I'm trying to use my imagination to bring these bizarre and funny characters to life," said the artist on Tuesday of his whimsical works, which blend photography and illustration to make the world look more fun.
"I'm seeing a world with more colours and characters who just simply make me laugh," he continued. "It could be a happy broccoli in a bowl of hot water or a friendly dragon around a Christmas tree."
Here, in a piece posted earlier today, is a friendly dragon wrapped around the 100-foot-tall Christmas Tree at Toronto's Eaton Centre.
Pouyasnap first rose to fame a few years back after writers from publications such as Buzzfeed and New York Magazine noticed his wicked work.
Sayyedi says that much of his art was done by index finger at first, but his tools have evolved with the times. Right now he uses a Microsoft Surface Book and stylus to draw most of what appears on his Instagram account.
Not everything he chooses as a subject is in Toronto — in fact, a lot of places aren't — but when the 6ix does show up on @pouyasnap it's always pretty good.
Here's what he's done with the Toronto Christmas Market...
The Harbourfront...
The TTC subway...
Pearson International Airport...
BMO Field...
One of those big red city sightseeing buses...
Yonge-Dundas Square...
Toronto's Cafe Plenty...
And, of course, our iconic back alley dumpsters.
You can check out more of Sayyedi's work, inspired by landmarks around the globe, on Instagram right here.
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