This Year’s Polaris Visuals Bend Reality — And Reflect It, Too

Interview with Moses Petros, aka Droophead

This season’s Polaris creative direction comes courtesy of Toronto-based digital artist Moses Petros, aka Droophead. Known for his surrealist world-building and genre-fluid visual style, Petros brings a dreamlike sensibility to everything from rave flyers to high-fashion visuals. For this year’s Polaris design, he leaned into the reflective and elemental—turning inspiration from salt lakes into a visual thread that flows across the Gala stage, our digital platforms, and beyond.

Polaris caught up with Moses to talk about his creative process, his favourite visual easter eggs, and why music is the perfect match for his work.

Where did you draw inspiration from for this year’s creative design?

Moses Petros: This year the inspiration came from salt lakes. There’s something about that kind of landscape that feels almost dreamlike and angelic—like you’re standing in this quiet, endless space where everything feels soft and reflective. It has this calm, surreal energy that really pulled me in. I wanted to bring that same vibe into this year’s design—something peaceful and a little otherworldly.

How would you describe your creative process?

A lot of the time it’s super referential. Once I’ve got a base, I start layering and building on it, kind of like sculpting. It’s not always linear — it’s more about feeling things out as I go, reacting to the work, and letting it evolve naturally.

How would you describe your creative style?

It’s always changing. I would maybe describe it as surreal realism. I love playing with contrast: clean design elements clashing with chaotic visuals. It’s really just influenced by whatever I’m really into at that point in time, and then funnelling that through a personal lens.

Do you have any favourite elements?

Movement and texture, for sure. I’m always drawn to fluidity in visuals, especially stuff that feels alive or shifting. Also obsessed with lighting—how it hits an object or creates mood. And then the little easter eggs — visual jokes, nostalgic references, or symbolic details that only reveal themselves the more you look.

What do you like about working within the music industry or Polaris?

Building the visual side of that — like filling in the other half of the experience — is super satisfying. I’ve always felt like sound and visuals are kind of missing halves of each other. When they connect just right, it hits way harder. And with something like Polaris, there’s room to be experimental, which is rare and really appreciated.

You’ve worked on a lot of music projects, including stuff in the Toronto rave scene. Are there any recent projects you really loved doing?

YES! There’s been so many. Big shoutout to MOONSHINE, BAMBII, CHIPPY NONSTOP, MILES FREEDOM, TYRIQUEORDIE, LOTION MAG, LIVING ROOM and NEW BODY!!!