Archives: Work

Lion King is one of the most beloved films of all time. That’s why Balich Wonder Studio turned to Yay Abe ahead of its highly-anticipated production of the 1994 classic.

Bringing the Disney masterpiece to the global stage, the Milan-based entertainment group needed a versatile artist who could replicate the film’s aesthetic without compromising its legacy. The Lion King remains the highest-grossing, traditionally-animated movie of all time. So, no pressure.

Yay Abe
“We needed to create something fresh that the audience would enjoy – all while making sure it was still recognisable. I tried to really deep dive during the sketch phase and just throw ideas into the air.”

Those ideas landed. Reimagining the savannah that introduced characters as distinct as Simba and Scar, Yay expertly played with patterns: introducing shapes and shades that both reflected and renewed the film’s setting.

Having relished the chance to “redraw the actual Simba from The Lion King”, Russell now has a place in Disney history.

Yay Abe

“The challenge was pulling references from all over Africa, so that the illustration work was inclusive of a wide range of African countries"

Josephine Rais makes her on-screen debut in vibrant global campaign for Essie

The TDF artist brings her signature joyful palette to life, on camera and on the streets of Berlin, in a collaboration that celebrates colour as self-expression.

Josephine Rais

“Being in the spotlight, especially on par with my art, is outside of my comfort zone, but the experience was amazing, it pushed me to grow and see my work from a new perspective.”

Working closely with renowned nail care brand Essie, Josephine Rais starred in a global campaign all about how colour expresses individuality.

Familiar with Josephine’s work and her dopamine-boosting palette, the Essie team reached out to to kickstart the collaboration: “We love the way you use vivid, feel-good colours in your creations and the joy and dynamism that comes through in every single thing you create.” Josephine flew out to Cape Town to shoot the campaign – her first time in-front of the camera.

Following the global commercial, the TDF artist was selected for the roll-out in her native Germany. Crafting an enormous mural in bustling Berlin has been a life-long dream for Josephine, “This has been on my bucket list forever, and now it’s finally happening,” she says.

Josephine’s full involvement resulted in a heightened sense of authenticity. “Essie gave us the freedom to stay true to our vision and creativity,” she says. “This level of trust and collaboration made the experience truly rewarding and inspiring, allowing us to create something that felt like us.”

Josephine Rais

“In my memory, Essie was one of the first brands to introduce an incredible variety of nail polish colours. So, when the request came in I immediately thought, this is such a great fit! I love the palette that Essie offers.”

Rediscovering fun: Bernardo Henning reinvents one of Britain’s iconic department store windows.

In a fun-filled collaboration with John Lewis, Bernardo helped relaunch its Kidswear identity with Funwear – a campaign built around the idea that play should be at the heart of everything.

Bernardo Henning

"I love character design so it was good to work with my studio to create different crazy characters. They were designed for kids to interact with them, whether physically in-store or to have them featured on bags, pins or other elements – until they become new friends."

Together with his design studio Hola Bosque, Bernardo crafted playful elements ranging from planets and typography to quirky characters that kids could “adopt” as new friends. These designs carried through the entire campaign, appearing on bags, pins, window displays, and even floor vinyls.

TfL Safety Campaign – An Iconic London Identity with an Andrew Hudson Spin

Andrew Hudson brought his bold, textural style to Transport for London’s Safety Campaign, designing a striking series of 18 posters that reimagined TfL’s visual heritage while delivering important safety messages to London commuters.

TFL wanted energy and creativity but with absolute clarity, so every decision balanced bold visuals with functional legibility – crucial for a safety campaign.

Your biggest challenge?

“Balancing creative energy with legibility – these are safety posters, so the message has to read in seconds”

This project also inspired Andrew’s personal series, Eyes Down. While travelling on the Tube, he began sketching commuters absorbed in their phones – modern moments of stillness that contrast the city’s energy. These sketches are now evolving into a series of paintings on canvas, capturing what Andrew calls “a snapshot of our times” – much like his TfL posters document the city’s present-day visual identity.

Andrew Hudson

"The greatest reward of this project is knowing the designs will become part of TfL’s poster archive and will be seen across London for years to come"

Main Character Energy

To celebrate International Women's day, Vivienne Shao crafted their own otherworldly animation, gracing screens everywhere with the theme of female empowerment for MTV ident.

Vivienne’s kick-ass character uppercuts a boulder, throws it to the sky and chisels away at it with powerful comic-style punches to reveal the MTV logo. Street Fighter fans might clock Vivienne’s inspiration as Chun Li: one of the most iconic female video game characters of all time. “I would say she’s feminine, but her physical appearance is still very strong and powerful,” says Vivienne.

Clémence Gouy takes women’s game to centre court in Paris

In bold tones and bigger-than-life scale, Clémence honours two basketball champions with a powerful mural reclaiming space for women in sport.

In an homage to two French 3x3 basketball champions, Clémence Gouy created an on-court masterpiece. Transforming the asphalt at Paris’ Centre Sportif Philippe Auguste, the artist depicted Olympian Marie-Ève Paget and U23 World Cup winner Anna Ngo Ndjock in a vibrant giant-scale face-off.

These portraits dominate the court in a powerful duotone of deep purple and basketball-orange, with corners marked by fierce gargoyle-like dragon heads.

It’s a mark of women taking up space in sports environments and a worthy tribute to two players who rule the court, literally and figuratively.

Clémence Gouy

"It’s been an honour to draw their portraits, in particular portraying these sportswomen as warriors in an urban space where the male presence is often omnipresent.”

A Fabulous Feminist Future.

Alexandra Bokova was asked to create a new ident for MTV that would go live on the iconic channel over International Women’s Day. Aleks’ animation takes us from the patriarchal past to the “fabulous feminist future” – as the artist says. “I wanted to reference the vast topic of IWD and my personal vision, while playing with the crazy and experimental style of past MTV idents.

Aleks's three female forms ride a pink cheetah through a lush, magical jungle in her beautifully globby 3D style, landing in giantesses' hands that lift them skywards representing women raising women.

Travel broadens horizons.

In bold splashes and golden hues, Josephine evokes the spirit of travel across a 30-metre mural and eight bespoke illustrations for newly-opened Hong Kong hotel, Ying’nFlo. Launched for a new generation of urban explorers, Ying’nFlo wanted to create a fresh and exciting visual identity that conjures the magic of travel.

For Josephine, adventure opens our eyes to the colourful joy of the everyday – a warming aesthetic that’s become her trademark. Re-immersing you in those endless summers spent with friends, Josephine’s work calls to mind halcyon times, making it the perfect fit for a hotel made for young travellers. Playing with perspective and punctuating the scene with colour and character, Josephine creates a series of full-of-life illustrations that spill over the hotel, inside and out.

Brought to life with the help of HK Walls, the mural adorns the hotel’s exterior for an eye-catching moment in Hong Kong’s bustling Wan Chai district.In her serotonin-boosting style, she features people strolling, skateboarding, snapping selfies and sharing memorable moments across the city in a creation that makes you feel part of the magic. Indoors, Josephine’s individual illustrations decorate the walls and are splashed across a vending machine, a vast array of merch and even a Rais-wrapped table football.

Venture to Hong Kong and you might spot Josephine’s colourful creations swoosh past you. As part of the collaboration, her illustrations wrap around two of HK’s iconic trams–locally known as Ding Dings–and a station, bringing her bold palette and fluid designs to the city’s iconic transportation too.