RGD Members share work of LGBTQ+ creatives who inspire them

Inspiration: Paul Dotey

Paul Dotey is an LGBTQ+ illustrator and designer based in Toronto who creates work that gives people a sense of place. Through his illustrative maps, informative books, window displays and architectural illustrations, Dotey visualizes the intricacies of the spaces we live in—delivering information in a digestible way through his mastery of merging words and images. His publishing background led him to found Anecdotey Press, a risograph-printed imprint behind Pocket Guides on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canada’s National Parks and the Great Lakes. At a moment when our Canadian identity feels particularly worth examining, Dotey’s work meets that moment—including his celebration of LGBTQ+ history with projects like The Beaver.

Inspiration: Adam J. Kurtz

Adam J. Kurtz is a Toronto-born artist whose work is rooted in honesty, humour and a little bit of darkness. Kurtz explores the reality of being a creative person through visual work that’s simple, yet bold and colourful. His work resonates with me because, even though his journals and merch initially spoke to people in the creative field, their deeply human nature makes them connect with a broader audience. The project that resonated with me while I was still in design school was Things Are What You Make of Them: Life Advice for Creatives. The easy-to-read book was filled with simple visuals and illustrations that speak about what it means to be a creative person, but most importantly, a human.

Inspiration: Deb JJ Lee

I’m inspired by Deb JJ Lee, a queer Korean-American illustrator and artist. I love the way they evoke reflection and emotion using vivid colours and dreamlike compositions. Their graphic novel In Limbo centres on the relationship between art, mental health and coming of age; making art is how I also coped with feeling othered and unsure about my future. I would like to keep creating for myself and maybe something I make will resonate with another person. Maybe that person wants to hear my stories. And just maybe, that person is the future version of who I become.

Inspiration: Debbie Millman

Debbie Millman is best known as the host of Design Matters. What I admire most is the role she’s played in documenting and expanding the conversation around design itself. Through her interviews, books, writing and teaching, she’s helped make the thinking behind great creative work more accessible to the design community and beyond.

I came to her work through books like Brand Thinking and How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer. At a point in my career when I was hungry to understand how other designers made sense of their work, her interviews offered something I couldn’t find anywhere else: honest conversations about process, purpose, failure, ambition and finding meaning.

What resonates most is that she’s never limited herself to a single lane. She’s a designer, illustrator, author, educator, interviewer and cultural critic. As someone who moves between creative practice, teaching, writing and ethics work, I find that deeply inspiring. She reminds me that contributing to a field isn’t just about the work you make. It’s also about the questions you ask, the ideas you share and the space you create for others to learn and grow.

Plus, she’s married to Roxane Gay. This has to count for a significant contribution to the community in itself!

Inspiration: Aries Moross

An embrace of boldness and detailed care seems to have always run through Aries Moross’s design work, and just as clearly, that same spirit carries through into their London-based design studio. As a queer- and trans-led studio, their values centre on contributing positively to culture and opening space for others to do the same—treating collaboration as shared and respectful rather than extractive, emphasizing boundaries and sustainability, being transparent with clients and resisting burnout as a default mode of working. And really, is there much more I’m trying to do in my own career than that?

Inspiration: Christopher Rouleau

Christopher Rouleau is a Toronto-based graphic designer, sign painter, lettering artist, educator, public speaker and published author. If you've spent any time wandering Toronto's neighbourhoods, there's a good chance you've come across his work adorning storefront windows and local businesses throughout the city.

I first discovered Christopher's work shortly after moving to Toronto in 2021. There was something undeniably authentic and tactile about it that immediately resonated with me. In an increasingly digital world, his commitment to craft feels both refreshing and inspiring. The level of skill, precision and attention to detail evident in every piece is truly remarkable.

Drawing inspiration from pop culture, branding, graphic design history and a healthy dose of nostalgia, Christopher creates work that bridges past and present. What I particularly admire is his deep respect for traditional sign painting and classic graphic design principles, paired with a contemporary sensibility that makes the work feel relevant and alive. The result is a body of work that feels both timeless and distinctly his own.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Christopher's latest exhibition, Selling Canada, currently on view at the Red Head Gallery until June 20, 2026. Featuring a collection of beautifully crafted, Canada-inspired pieces, the show perfectly captures the nostalgic spirit that runs throughout his practice. Rich in storytelling, craftsmanship and wit, it's an exhibition I would highly recommend experiencing.

Inspiration: Andy Warhol

Citing one of the most recognizable gay artists of all time might seem effortless, but hear me out. Coming of age in the 1980s and ’90s in Scarborough meant having little access to artistic community—until a grade-school trip to the AGO introduced me to Warhol. Years later, through voracious magazine reading, I discovered The Factory: his New York studio and the centre of a social world that seemed so inclusive of “the freaks,” a category I increasingly felt I belonged to. Then came Interview magazine—a revelation of everything I wanted my life to include: art, design, conversation and beauty. A gifted copy of The Andy Warhol Diaries deepened the understanding further—about art, New York City, being a gay man and the importance of visibility. I cite him not for the soup cans, but because he represented a world of otherness I hadn’t yet realized existed. He made me believe there was a life beyond the boundaries of the world I knew.