Creative 100: Visual Innovators

The budget range with which you can create incredible artistry has never been wider. If you've got a phone, a smart idea and the willingness to see it through, the sky's the limit. On the other extreme, if you've got a streaming service deal or a global pantheon of A-list clients, well, that can open quite a few doors unavailable to the rest of us. This year's Adweek Creative 100 includes six visual artists who represent the best of innovation across that spectrum. Chances are good that you've seen their work, even if you weren't sure who was behind it. David Korins Set designer, Beetlejuice, Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, 2022 Academy Awards Building a spotlight: As a creative director, Korins has continued to build multidimensional experiences that help bring stories to life. Designing more than 20 Broadway show sets including Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Beetlejuice and Mrs. Doubtfire, Korins brings in a unique approach to experiential storytelling. Pushing creative boundaries: Drawing on his expertise in scenic, experiential and immersive design, Korins invites audiences to experience various immersive worlds with his set designs. Building on his various projects, Korins has also moved beyond Broadway and served as creative director for musicians including Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Kanye West and Mariah Carey. In addition, he has continued his creative passions by bringing the immersive Van Gogh Exhibit to 19 cities across the country, and he led design of this year's Academy Awards set. View this post on Instagram A post shared by David Korins (@davidkorins) Reclaiming live experiences: Although the pandemic has impacted a lot of Korins' work on Broadway shows, he began to adapt and expand his creative plans to reflect the change the world has had to adjust to. For Korins, the immersive Van Gogh Exhibit was a way to build a live experience that signaled a way back to in-person events. With a large space for social distancing and creatively crafted hidden rooms and secret passageways, Korins has expanded into live experiences, and Beetlejuice returned to Broadway in April.—Natalie Venegas Thom Browne Fashion designer Making it into fashion: The American fashion designer began his journey to the fashion industry by first working with a tailor, then as a salesman for Giorgio Armani, and later as a designer for Club Monaco. As he transitioned into beginning his business in 2001, Browne started with five gray suits in a made-to-measure shop in New York City. With each jacket and trouser, he paired a gray cardigan, a white oxford shirt, a gray tie and silver tie-bar, with classic black brogues. The suits are now known as the "Thom Browne uniform." Challenging creative fashion: Although Browne drew much of his inspiration from classic midcentury American style while incorporating preppy details, his designs quickly became a trend for menswear. Shifting his creative focus to womenswear in 2011, Browne launched a reinterpretation of classic styles with the addition of edgy, slightly subversive details as dresses, jackets and trousers were shown in classic American colors of red, white and navy. Browne’s looks have continued to reference the uniforms of businessmen, school children and even military officers. But with every collection, Browne takes these core uniforms and reimagines them. Designing for more: Despite his notable designs, Browne didn't achieve high-profile recognition until former first lady Michelle Obama attended her husband’s inauguration in 2013 wearing a custom-made Thom Browne coat-and-dress combination. At this year's Met Gala, he was the event's dominant creative force, crafting looks for Lizzo, Oscar Isaac, Adrien Brody, Gunna, Travis Barker, Kourtney Kardashian and more. As Browne continues his venture into fashion, he challenges what fashion can look like and reinvents new looks.—Natalie Venegas Smac McCreanor Dancer, choreographer, TikTok star Dancing into the spotlight: Los Angeles-based Australian dancer McCreanor began gaining her following on TikTok after uploading a series of videos where she performs interpretive dance moves mimicking unusual footage, such as a hydraulic system squashing various items. These quirky and fun dance videos have earned her more than 2.1 million followers on the social video platform. @smacmccreanor “I nailed the toilet brush” is a sentence I never thought I’d say. #oddlysatisfying ♬ Smac gets squished again - Smac Expanding creatively: More recently, McCreanor has continued to expand her creative and quirky dance videos into more interactive content with collaborations with other creators on the platform. She has already appeared in a few TV series, international stage productions and music videos, and has been cast in over 50 commercials in the past 15 years. Toward the future: In addition to uploading content on the popular platform, McCreanor will appear on NBC’s new competition show Dancing With Myself. McCreanor will be tasked with trying to win over the judges—including Shakira and Nick Jonas—and secure the audience’s vote with her performance.—Natalie Venegas Autumn Durald Arkapaw and Kasra Farahani Director of photography and production designer, Loki, Disney+ The multiverse's bureaucratic heart: Few corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been more visually immersive and enigmatic than that of Loki, the 2021 Disney+ series that picked up the god of mischief's story where Avengers: Endgame left off. Rather than expanding on the many aesthetics already found in Marvel's superhero franchises, Loki created something new that conveyed both the stale bureaucracy of the Time Variance Authority and the infinite wonder of the multiverse overseen by the agency. Key to the show's success was Durald Arkapaw's use of lighting and color, along with Farahani's detail-rich set designs. A fateful first outing: Despite being credited by many for their equal contributions and collaboration, Durald Arkapaw and Farahani actually hadn't worked together before Loki. They were introduced by series director Kate Herron. "He had all of his drawings and references up on the wall," Durald Arkapaw told website Gold Derby, "and I just remember thinking the moment I saw that I was like, ‘Yes! It’s gonna be amazing.'” "The aesthetic of authoritarianism": Inspired by midcentury design, brutalism and more, Loki's retro-futuristic aesthetic was honored by the 2022 Art Directors Guild Awards for Excellence in Production Design. Farahani has been vocal in his belief that it was a combination of the source material, his passion for achitecture-inspired design and Durald Arkapaw's cinematographic talents that made it possible. "The aesthetic of authoritarianism and bureaucracy, but with a strangeness, this combination of awe and oppression and tiny elements of humor, it's in my wheelhouse," Farahani told the Film Roundtable podcast. "It's in the stuff I like to design. And Autumn's style is naturally this beautiful, low, wide coverage that dovetailed perfectly into what I thought was the best approach to the material."—David Griner w.vv.vv Anonymous photographer and AR filter designer At the intersection of influence and anonymity: The photographer, artist and AR innovator who goes by w.vv.vv has achieved global visibility for their work—without feeling the need to reveal who they are. More than 35,000 followers keep an eye on the artist's Instagram, where they post cryptic travel updates, gorgeous photography and vertical-video stories about their newest interactive experiments. A consistent, calming aesthetic: w.vv.vv's photography is meticulously crafted to maintain an ongoing aesthetic, though the artist's visual goals change over time. Typically featuring Asian cityscapes and moments of surprising solace amid the bustle of modern life, their images blend excellent framing with nuanced image manipulation. "The objective of my art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity," the artist told Adweek. "My work portrays my subconscious mind. I transcend ordinary scenes into a fantastical landscape that offers the audience an imaginative escape." View this post on Instagram A post shared by AR Filters????赤外線ピンク????Photography???? (@w.vv.vv) View this post on Instagram A post shared by AR Filters????赤外線ピンク????Photography???? (@w.vv.vv) Filters frequented by the famous: AR filters made by w.vv.vv have been used by the likes of K-pop star Taeyeon (18.5 million Instagram followers) and Kylie Jenner (344 million followers), along with a litany of less-famous folks who just want to have fun imagining themselves as Studio Ghibli characters or turning themselves invisible. "The most enjoyable part [is] the accessibility and interactivity that AR brings," w.vv.vv said. "Audiences are part of the art, as they are free to express and engage with my filter the way they wanted."—David Griner Check out Adweek’s Creative 100 for 2022 by category: Agency Leaders | Agency Talents to Watch | Branded Content Innovators | TV and Streaming Innovators | Visionary Directors | Media Innovators | Icons and Influencers

The Creative 100

Creative 100: Visual Innovators Grabbing the World's Attention

Meet 6 artistic talents who bring fun, fashion and storytelling to new heights

Adweek Staff

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Adweek Staff