Change, hope and transformation: The CBC Arts logo gets made over for Transgender Awareness Month

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

It's Transgender Awareness Month, and all November long, our profile pic will be dressed in the same pink and blue as the trans flag.

It's the handiwork of Sfé R. Monster, the trans artist behind the webcomic Eth's Skin. And as they explain, there's loads more symbolism packed into this image.

Read on! Get to know more about Monster's work and the inspiration behind November's logo.

Name: Sfé R. Monster

Age: 33

Homebase: I'm bi-coastal! I currently split my time between Vancouver (where I was born) and Halifax.

Let's talk about your design! What inspired your take on the CBC Arts logo?

When I started thinking about the logo, I thought of all the depth and facets and nuances of what it's like to exist and be trans. I worked with the colours of the trans flag and included the classic trans symbol of a butterfly, which undergoes a complete transformation over the course of its life. I also pulled from my own personal iconography that I've employed in my own work, using crystals, which are multi-faceted and strong but also delicate and beautiful. I also spent some time learning about the language of floral symbolism to create a bouquet of fresh, nurtured growth.

What kind of flowers have you included? What's the symbolism there?

I chose to incorporate flowers that symbolize change and transformation. The smallest is a pimpernel, the tallest are the delphiniums and in the middle is a daffodil. I chose to take some liberties with their colours, but all three flowers represent change, hope, transformation and personal growth, which I feel really speaks to parts of the trans journey beautifully.

What does Transgender Awareness Month mean to you?

To me, Transgender Awareness Month is a time to celebrate how far we've come, collect and bolster ourselves for all that we have left to do and, most importantly, to reflect on all those we've lost along the way. I think it's a time to elevate our trans voices, share our accomplishments, our struggles and our stories, and recognize that the more that we make people aware of us — to create spaces to not only accept but embrace us, and work to challenge old phobias and biases — the better and safer the lives of trans people can and will be.

How did you get into comics?

I've always enjoyed drawing, but it wasn't really until the early 2010s that I was introduced to the concept of making comics via the online community of webcomics. I was so inspired by the limitless potential of the kind of stories that could be made and shared in that format. There wasn't a lot of trans and queer representation in media at the time — and even today we still have a very long way to go — but webcomics were an immediate way for me to start making and sharing work about characters and stories that were like me and reflected my lived experience. All of my first comic works started out online, and were fostered by social media and the fledgling queer comics community.

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

I'm torn! On one hand, I'm extremely proud of my first big book, Beyond: The Queer Sci-Fi & Fantasy Comic Anthology, a Lambda Literary Award-winning collection of short comics made by a variety of creators that I edited and we collectively self-published in 2015. On the other hand, I recently got the chance to adapt Minecraft into an officially licensed graphic novel, and it was such an honour that I got to be myself and bring my identity and values into such an enormous property. So I'm really proud of that, too!

Who is the last artist you discovered online?

I'm currently in love with Kelly Bastow and Victor Martins — who both happen to be Canada-based creators! Victor does some of the best and most evocative comics I've ever seen; Kelly is an incredible illustrator and I fall in love with every line she's drawn.

What work of art do you wish you owned?

I think art is best when it's out in public being shared, but lately I've been head over heels with the paintings of Maud Lewis. She has a permanent display at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and I go in to check on it at least once a month. She was so prolific over the course of her life, and there's just something about her paintings and colours and subject matter that makes me glad.

What's your favourite place to see art?

I think social media platforms like Instagram and Tumblr are some of the most accessible ways for me to see and find new art. However, I'm always stunned by the quality and calibre of work that I can find at local zine fairs, and I think they're a bit of a hidden gem in most cities! I've never gone to a zine fair and not come away without at least five new tidbits of art and expression that I'm enamoured with. Also, this is a shameless plug, but the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is free on Thursday evenings and it's become my favourite place to go and relax and re-centre and get inspired.

Where can we see more from you? Any new projects on the horizon?

I post previews of my current and upcoming work to my Instagram and more in-depth posts on my Patreon. I have my webcomic Eth's Skin all online. Just this month I began working on the new batch of short comics that I'm planning to premiere at next year's Canadian comic arts festivals, and I'm always thinking about new ways to collaborate with like-minded trans and queer creators. My friend and creative partner Jam and I have been working on creating a new space to elevate and celebrate marginalized trans and queer voices through art that we're planning to launch in the new year, and it's been exhilarating to dream of a future based around the ideas of thriving, care and communal success, and what kind of work that space could allow us to share with the world.