This one's burned into my brain in the best way 🔥
I did new collab with the brilliant Mercury Absurd, a performance artist who brings together intense physicality, absurdist costume design, and experimental soundtracks. Their work sits at the intersection of strength and strangeness, with a flair that’s completely their own (and a completely different level).
This shoot marked a transformation for Mercury, a visual statement to reintroduce their identity as a queer, fluid art entity. We wanted to make something that felt bold and physical, but also strange, stylish, and a bit theatrical... just like them.
For the lighting, I leaned into low key dramatic setups you’d usually see in men’s underwear ads, to push a more masculine aesthetic (think classic CK shoots). Moody, high contrast, and edgy, with just enough softness to let the body paint shine. We used silver across the skin, with purple accent lighting to give it a surreal, liquid metal vibe.
The result was sharp, iconic, and unmistakably Mercury.
Notes for the future:
If there's a shower at a studio, test that it actually works before your messy shoot.
Body paint is messier than you think. Even when you think it's going to be very messy 😅 Wet-wipes saved the day (and my camera gear).
Collaborations work best when you can incorporate personalities. This worked so well because it wasn't trying to force a look, instead it was built around accentuating Mercury's essence.
Check out a few of my favourites from the shoot:
