“The energy signature in your work is yours and nobody else can do that.”

By Adrian Jimenez

In Episode 23 of Unsugarcoated with Aalia, host Aalia Lanius discusses the art of creativity and branding with Ali Sabet – an internationally-acclaimed artist and the creator of the famous art brand Pixopop. He started his career as an art director for world-class advertising agency Foote, Cone, and Belding, but soon branched out and created his own branding agency called Sabet Brands. Later, however, he would become the world-renowned contemporary artist that he is known as today. Though he was born in Tehran, Iran in 1976, he moved to the United States when he was ten years old.

Sabet started drawing when he was in 2nd Grade. Due to the fact that he lived in Iran during the Iran-Iraq War, his early work from this period features many themes pertaining to war such as tanks and fighter planes. Once he moved to the U.S. though, that quickly changed.

Sabet: “Coming here, I think the issue became more so dealing with learning how to speak the language. I didn’t speak English at the time. There was a lot of bullying, so I went through that until the end of high school, to be honest. So that was the core foundation of the anxiety and the mild depression and all that stuff. I didn’t have words to write. I didn’t know what ‘anxiety’ meant until I was 23, actually.”

Aalia: “So when you didn’t have words, art gave you a form of expression?” 

Sabet: “Absolutely. It was something I couldn’t stop doing. I always had to have a pen in my hand even though the art wasn’t that great. It was just a constant outlet. First it’s getting rid of all the anxiety and the things that are going through your system and [putting that] onto the paper. Later on, that transmuted into something more powerful.”

While art was at first cathartic for Sabet, it soon became a way to inspire and entertain others.  He created the Pixopop brand in 2010 – an art style and collection of characters inspired by the Japanese lifestyle brand Sanrio and its products and characters (such as Hello Kitty). Sabet cultivated this brand and made countless products with his designs such as prints, backpacks, purses, and other everyday items. However, he eventually took a break from the brand in 2015 because he wanted to branch out more in terms of artistic expression. It was at this time that Sabet became a full-time painter.

Sabet’s current body of work consists of colorful, expressive portraits of the human figure as well as allusions to his own cultural background as an Iranian. One of the most fascinating aspects of his work is the use of his own ‘light language’ – a language he created a script for but can’t read. Most people describe his work as healing. Sabet himself even said, “They would say that they felt better…emotionally or physically. Whenever people see my work, they have physical reactions.” Although he has enjoyed his new life as a full-time painter, Sabet found a way to revive his Pixopop brand in 2020. After a few years of not doing anything with it, he discovered that the brand could still thrive, but just in a different way.

He has recently found a passion for teaching through his Pixopop Academy online workshop. Though he’s teaching virtually right now, he loves making the kids he teaches laugh, learn, and find some peace during this difficult time for the world. 

“I realized that what they are needing right now – other than just to learn something new – is to have their emotions picked up. They’re all trapped. They’re not having a good time. Not all of them are having fun stuck at home not seeing their friends. So, this class has not only become a platform for them to learn how to draw things, but it’s become something where it’s become somewhat entertaining for them and they’re having a good time.”

By introducing children to art, especially during this difficult time for the world, Sabet is fostering the imaginations and artistic talents of the next generation of artists. If it wasn’t for kind and generous souls like Sabet, there would be no one to inspire the next generation’s artistic abilities. It is the mission of an artist to cultivate growth in others and bring out the best in society. Whether he’s making art, or whether he’s teaching art, Ali Sabet is changing the world. 

Tune in below to the full episode to learn more about Ali Sabet and his Unsugarcoated discussion with Aalia!

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To learn more about Ali Sabet’s Pixopop brand and Pixopop Academy, visit his websites: Pixopop.com and Pixopopacademy.com.

To stay connected with Ali Sabet, check out his Instagram: @Sabet and his personal website: sabet.art

To stay up to date with Unsugarcoated Media, visit UnsugarcoatedMedia.com and follow us on Instagram: @unsugarcoatedmedia.

Stay connected with Aalia on Instagram: @aalia_unsugarcoated, as well as on Clubhouse and LinkedIn.