"Vasilisa Forbes is an artist and film-maker/video-director who's also the brains behind the #WaxChick project. You might have seen her billboards popping up around London, or caught her speaking at the ICA. Controversial and thought-provoking, her focus on female sexuality in the insidious world of advertising is eye-opening to say the least."
I shoot music videos and short films.
I aspire to creating art with a sense of activism for social cultural change. I often use billboards and OOH media/posters to create a dialogue.
WAXCHICK a subversive billboard story unfolded across London, placed by Annin Arts in 2015. With #waxchick I was driven to question the presentation of women, the body within advertising in our modern world.
The Waxchick film was shown & nominated at various leading short film festivals such as LSFF, East End Film Festival and ICA.
Clean Air Now is an indie, non-profit campaigning initiative created by myself and Claire Matthews, who advocate for positive environmental change in London and across the UK
Clean Air Now advocates for greater transparency, awareness of London’s illegal levels of pollution through billboards, posters and street art placement across some of the cities most polluted roads.
Contact:
vasilisa@firstfilms.co.uk
vasforbes@gmail.com
Projects
- Grief is The Thing With FeathersGrief is the Thing with Feathers is an editorial inspired by the novel of the same name, and the physical expression and weight of grief. The tonality darker palette, the crow-like expression, the sensitivity. These images are all about the way grief can manifest itself and present itself, and how it feels to go through the stages. Additionally the styling is by designers working with sustainability, in relation to the environment. Credits Photographer: Akytom Creative Direction/Performer: Vasi
- Bognor CockleBognor Regis, a mix of squat grey concrete buildings, archaic regency, and characters that Martin Parr loves - a place of contradictions. Initially a Saxon hamlet, it was properly established by Hotham the Hatter, a wealthy hatmaker. This shoot is a playful response to my time spent in Bognor as a recent local, the people who populate it and the atmosphere it evokes. Photography by Melike&Felipe @melikeandfelipe MakeUp & Hair by Rose Hobbs @feeling.rosy Creative Direction & Model - @vasilisawo
- Music Video: Pale Waves - LiesLIES is a powerful track from Pale Waves that spoke to me of heartbreak and frustration, yet with punchy empowerment. I wanted to create a striking performance-focused video for Pale Waves with Heather at the forefront; in a lighting and colour driven studio environment. Here we use lighting and creative studio set ups to tell the story of LIES - using 3 bold contrasting set ups and working with shadows. In LIES, a blue diamond shape is repeated through a performance cube where we mirror ceilin
- Music Video: StudioMusic Video for Pale Waves: Jealousy Jealousy is all about stark contrast; noir, dark thoughts, harsh light, monochrome desires, and powerful performance energy. I wanted to take Pale Waves into a punk and minimal world. Chains represent the ‘caging feeling of jealousy’ - suppression and being held back by jealous thoughts and emotions - caging, carrying a weight, oppression, breaking bonds. I was inspired by Bob Carlos Clarke for the mood of these Black & White set ups, giving a simplistically
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Projects credited in
- Antheia : Fashion EditorialAntheia is the goddess of blooms and gardens. We were inspired by Grecian structures and Hellenic forms, with statuesque explorations of the body reflected in the blooming shapes of a summer garden. Our character of Antheia is surrounded by plants, curvatures and shadowed light.
- Go Electric | Clean Air NowPoplar, East London, UK. November 2016. Photography for #GoElectric campaign. A second collaboration with Director/Visual artist Vasilisa Forbes and Graphic Designer Claire Matthews in which we were promoting the use of V Moto UK's electric bikes and the positive change they can contribute to the environment. The campaign was supported by billboards in Peckham & Elephant & Castle. This campaign also featured appearances from grime musician's Mercston & Blakie and R&B/Soul singer Poppy Ajudha.
- War On Diesel | PhotographySouth London, UK. July 2016. Photography for #WarOnDiesel campaign. In collaboration with Director/Visual artist Vasilisa Forbes and Graphic Designer Claire Matthews, they have created this campaign for positive environmental change in London and across the UK. If your interested in finding out more visit here cleanairnow.org.uk and register your interest. Press: Guardian, Wonderland Magazine, TimeOut London, BBC London, Client Earth and Energy Live News. Creative Direction: Vasilisa Forbes Gra
Work history
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Creative DirectorFreelance
London, United KingdomFreelance
Creative Direction on Campaigns, OOH Campaigns,
advertising brands and independent advertising clients.
Overseeing production, creative design, creation on content.
Visual design and edit. Full use of Adobe Creative Suite to accomplish.
Director of video content, commercial content and music video promos.
Video DirectorOB Management
- London, United KingdomFreelance
Creating commercial video content, music video promos, in-charge of production.
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Skills
- Fashion
- Advertising
- Events
- Film
- Marketing PR
- TV
- Visual Arts
- Print Design
- Art Direction
- Design
- Final Cut Pro
- Illustrator
- Indesign
- Photoshop
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Adobe Create Suite
Education
Illustration and Mixed MediaCamberwell College of Arts (UAL)
- London, United Kingdom
Awards
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Shorts on Tap DirectorsShorts on Tap
Female Director WinnerS
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Sony WPOSony WPO
Sony World Photography Org, Shortlisted+ Show more