The latest instalment in Gra's series about artists you should know.

Pepä Ivanoff, 40, designer and muralist

One of my earliest memories is of sitting with my parent's vinyl record collection - yes I'm that old - and leafing through all of the albums, staring at the art. I was a total nerd: reading, drawing, and listening to music. I lived in the library and in my room. Mum and Dad weren’t creative themselves, but they always encouraged me to be. 

Though I always knew I wanted to be an artist, people constantly reminded me that the term 'Starving Artist' existed for a reason – that art wasn't a real job, it was more just a hobby.

So I studied Graphic Design, which seemed like the most 'job-like' form of art. I'm into my third decade in this field, and blending my love of analog and digital informs my style.

ChiChi my mini Peruvian hairless dog and I with mixed media collages at Mizata in El Salvador, 2020

My first job was at Morrison Media, who published surf and skate titles. It taught me so much about the fundamentals of great design and really fuelled my love of typography and photography.

After this I worked in advertising and apparel and spent the majority of my career designing graphics and textile prints for clothing, mostly in the surf industry. At 23 I moved to San Diego and spent eight years there, surfing and designing. I kept doing art as a hobby.

When I moved to Costa Rica ten years ago, I started painting surfboards at Che Boards in Tamarindo. It was an amazing experience as I learned new painting techniques, and about shaping and boards in general.

Painting a surfboard using a sponge directly onto the blank at the SuperBrand factory in Carlsbad, California, 2016

One of the many gems from ‘La Bomba’ swell that hit us perfectly at home in Playa Negra, Costa Rica in April of this year (2021) Pic: Bob ‘Stonefish’ Ledbetter

My segue into murals also happened during this time; a friend of one of the shapers, who was an interior designer, saw my work and asked if I'd ever painted walls. She was working on a new hostel project with a company called Selina and asked me to work with her as a mural artist.

I painted hundreds of murals with Selina in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Peru. It was a dream come true: I was traveling, painting, and collaborating with a team of creatives from around the world to create beautiful spaces. I guess I’ve been operating independently now for five years.

‘Livin’ the Dream’ with this colourful 23m² mural I painted on the facade wall of the Aloha Bungalow in Leucadia, California, 2020 Pic: @nathanpetty

‘Keep It Surfy’ mural for Surfhouse Hotel in Leucadia, California 2020. Pic: Kimlien Le

Mixed media collage is one of my favourite creative techniques. This mural, featuring a bird of paradise, was created in a private residence in La Fortuna, Costa Rica, 2021

When I was a kid, I’d spin a globe, close my eyes and place my finger on the spinning sphere. Wherever my finger stopped on, I’d grab the World Book Encyclopedia and find out what I could about that country: Later, in high school, I was an exchange student in Germany. Being in Europe was so exciting, the ability to hop on a train and travel to a different country was such a novelty.

I've spent the last ten years in Costa Rica, exploring Central and South America and the Caribbean. I love Australia, but my wanderlust is showing no sign of diminishing and I'm not sure when I'll move back. There's just so much to see and do and experience, I really do love it here, and want to take advantage of the fact that I'm fortunate enough to live and work in this part of the world. 

I get a lot of clients through referrals - which is my favourite way, it’s always so lovely to be recommended by a happy client - and via Instagram. The platform works for me as an artist.

Most clients have a basic idea of what they want, others leave it up to me. I focus on the dimensions of the wall and the space the wall is set in. Surroundings, colours, furniture, vibe, and finishings have a big impact on the space, and I always try to create something that’ll compliment its environment. Then there’s the logistics of scaffolding and texture to consider. Based on all this, I’ll create a sketch of my design, which I place into a photo of the blank wall and send it to the client for approval. Then we co-ordinate the logistics of me travelling to the location, the timeline and the installation process. If the wall is in the reception of a busy hotel, or receives direct sunlight all day, I need to plan my work schedule accordingly, especially if it's a larger scale piece. Showing up and actually painting is a very small - but the most fun - part of the process. 

‘Army of me’ wearing a jumpsuit I designed, painting a mural inside Station Salon in downtown Encinitas, California, 2020

All about balance, really

I joke that I work as an artist and designer to fund my surf and travel addiction, but I love what I do so much it doesn't really feel like work most of the time.

Honestly, all I really want to do is travel and surf and be creative. As a muralist, I've been so fortunate to connect with amazing clients in fabulous locations. My stay at the location becomes somewhat of an artist residency; I live, paint; and surf on the property – usually for extended stays if there's a lot of walls – and leave having formed friendships and knowledge of the area. As long as I have my computer and an internet connection I can do my graphic design work from anywhere. And as long as there's a white wall somewhere that needs a coat of paint, I can travel anywhere to do that. Being single and child-free gives me the freedom to be spontaneous and independent. If I want to go somewhere, I go. If I book a job in a different country, I go. If the waves are good, I go. 

Cruising along at home in Playa Negra with my 9'0 Christenson 'Black Beauty'. This board is over twenty-years old but aging gracefully - like me hahahaha! Pic: @gosurfvibes

Sliding into a fun one at home in Playa Negra on my 8'0 single fin earlier this year Pic: @dg7foto

I have fourteen surfboards ranging from 5'4 to 9'6 but I am a longboarder at heart. My favourite boards are my 8'8 Takayama Noah Comp and my 9'0 Christenson C-Bucket. I'm regular foot and I grew up on the Goldy, so long, right point breaks are my jam. My favourite wave in the world is at home in Playa Negra in Costa Rica. Goals include catching bigger waves and surfing new, and hopefully uncrowded, destinations. I've also recently fallen in love with sailing, so a dream would be to live aboard a sailboat for while, chasing waves.

// PEPÄ IVANOFF (as told to GRA MURDOCH)
@pepallama on Instagram