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WorkIllustration

Sunny B. Yazdani's illustrations burst with life and reveal a determined path to creativity

Sunny B. Yazdani is an illustrator and motion designer based in New York who loves to play with shapes, light and shadow. Born in Iran, her works are inspired by people and life, and she enjoys capturing "feelings, movements, and connectivity between cultures and global issues".

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Illustration of a purple-faced woman with black hair and cyan earrings, with a vibrant interior scene of a person reading amongst plants and books visible within her head, surrounded by flowing blue ribbons.

"As a young kid, I knew I wanted to become an artist, but I had to fight for that path," Sunny tells us. "My Persian parents wanted me to study a major in which I could earn a lot of money. To prove myself, I collected my illustrations in a portfolio when I was 18 and checked in on all the magazines I knew in the city. After a few months of searching, one of the magazines responded and assigned me to design 10 illustrations for its next issue. It didn't pay very well but I didn't care about the money; I was just so happy to find a small gig at long last."

But her success in Iran was only temporary. Sunny moved to the United States in 2013 to pursue a creative career, saying she was unable to progress in her home country, blaming economic crises, sexism and gender inequality. She graduated with a masters in Illustration in 2016 from SCAD: Savannah College of Art & Design and later from a masters in Motion Media Design in 2018. She has been working for creative studios and clients in Savannah, Portland, and NYC ever since, from W+K and Aardman Nathan Love, and Imaginary Forces to Framestore, Meister, and Dress Code.

Sunny currently works for the advertising firm, FCB New York. Discover more of her work at sunnyyazdani.com or follow her on Instagram.

Illustration of an elderly man with white hair and beard reading an open book, with a red brain visible above his head against a pale pink background
A figure on an exercise bike gazes up at a vibrant, colourful illustration of a giant eye adorned with geometric shapes, a yellow crown and climbing figures, set against a bold blue interior space with windows and plants.
Vibrant digital illustration of two stylised faces with bold geometric shapes in primary colours and patterns layered across their features
Turquoise typewriter with paper scrolling out, surrounded by pink-potted plants, books and framed artwork on a pink background
Silhouetted figure on a glowing swing suspended against a deep blue starry background with floating particles and light effects
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