A Y2K-inspired CBC Arts logo … because it's gonna be May

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

Ben Luu has been feeling nostalgic. A graphic design student at Toronto's George Brown College, the artist is mere days away from graduating, and lately, he's been feeling inspired by days gone by.

"I've become the age where I am being re-captivated by things [from] my childhood," says Luu, and for him, that means the early 2000s.

When CBC Arts commissioned Luu to create a logo design for Asian Heritage Month, he was already in that throwback state of mind. He pulled visual references from his earliest memories of the internet to create his design, and he told us more about the concept when we reached out to him by email.  
 

Name: Ben Luu

Age: 28

Homebase: Brampton, Ont.

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

Springtime magical girl realness.

What inspired the concept?

This logo references growing up in the age of the internet and suddenly having access to this wave of globalized exported Asian media. To me, pop culture like that can be just as sacred a carrier of cultural heritage as any other more traditional vehicle. 

What mediums did you use?

The logo was sketched with pen and paper, then redrawn digitally. The type at the bottom is actually from a work-in-progress typeface I am developing called "Computers are like People."
 

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

I am wrapping up my senior thesis for graphic design school! It has consumed most of my life for the past few months.

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

I am very proud of the work I did with the musician RAAYS. We worked together on rollouts for the albums Innervzm and Innervzm II. Thinking back to some of the conceptual conversations we had about the work is still very inspiring to me. We also came together to make Flower Pot, an animation that appeared before every screening at the 2023 Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival.
 

What's your favourite place to see art? 

I like looking at art when I am travelling. Something about being away from home makes you more open to receiving new ideas. 

Who's the last artist you discovered online? 

I was algorithmically introduced to the musician Ferdous. I've had his song "Celestial Kiss" on repeat for the last 24 hours.

What work of art do you wish you owned? 

There are more than a handful of Koichi Sato graphic design posters that I would love to own. I have a book from Ginza Graphic Gallery containing some licensed documentation of his work, but an authentic physical poster would be something else. I realize that there are thousands of very accessible fake prints, but where's the integrity in that? 
 

Are there any arts events on your radar this May? What are you excited to check out? 

Last week, I went to a panel at Issues Magazine Shop in Toronto which was great. They have them every month so I am looking to check out the one in May if I am free. 

Where can we see more from you?

I'm @bentriestodesign on Instagram. I'll also be exhibiting at George Brown College's Year End Show May 1 and 2.