Crafting the Lens: Gabriel Moses on the People and Places That Define His Creative Vision

Last month, the V&A East Museum hosted a compelling installment of A Life in the Work of Others, a series dedicated to peeling back the layers of artistic practice. The guest of honor was Gabriel Moses, the acclaimed filmmaker, director, and photographer whose evocative imagery has become a defining aesthetic of contemporary visual culture. Throughout the evening, Moses offered a candid look into the tapestry of experiences—ranging from the intimate domesticity of his upbringing to the towering influence of global icons—that have informed his trajectory from a curious teenager in South London to a visionary behind the lens.

For Moses, the roots of his creative identity are deeply embedded in the women who surrounded him during his formative years. His early exposure to the visual arts was not found in galleries, but in the private sphere of his sister’s bedroom, where the television served as both a gaming console and a portal to a wider world. Because his sister was a fashion student, the walls were plastered with the remnants of Vogue and Dazed magazine, creating an accidental mood board that Moses absorbed through osmosis.

Beyond the influence of fashion media, his mother played an even more pivotal role in shaping his visual literacy. She brought with her an inherent appreciation for aesthetics, particularly through her passion for flower arranging, which demanded a sophisticated understanding of color theory. Moses credits his mother with making "outrageous" color choices that felt instinctive rather than calculated—a philosophy he consciously channels when composing his own frames today.

This domestic environment was also one of documentation. The family’s history was preserved in the books scattered around their home, chronicling the lives of his grandparents in Nigeria, his mother’s own youth, and the growth of his siblings. This constant engagement with photography as a tool for storytelling left an indelible mark on him, fostering a deep-seated love for the act of capturing life as it unfolds. Perhaps most importantly, his mother provided an unwavering psychological foundation. Having immigrated to the United Kingdom at eighteen, she possessed a unique perspective on the potential for people to shine, regardless of their circumstances. Her support was absolute; whether he chose to be a postman or a director, her directive was always to be the best in the world. When Moses eventually left university to pursue filmmaking, the resulting quiet period was not met with doubt, but with the quiet understanding of a parent who recognized her son’s ambition.

The landscape of South London also provided a unique incubator for his talent. Growing up, Moses was surrounded by a community where success in sports and entertainment felt tangible and reachable. He recalls the local petrol station as a site of serendipitous inspiration, where he would occasionally cross paths with figures like Rio Ferdinand. Such encounters normalized the idea of success, turning abstract dreams into achievable realities.

Equally significant was the local legend Andy Ansah, a former footballer who transitioned into choreographing high-profile advertisements. To the local youth, Ansah was a star in his own right, having worked alongside global icons like Ronaldinho and Ronaldo. His ability to blend his athletic background with creative direction provided a roadmap for Moses, who began appearing as an extra in these commercials. This early exposure to the mechanics of production gave him a foundational understanding of the industry, teaching him that one could leverage a passion for sports to explore entirely new creative avenues.

However, photography was not his initial destination. Like many young men in his neighborhood, Moses first aimed for a career on the football pitch. It was only during his first year at university, when his mother became ill, that he felt a pressing need to redefine his path and find a way to honor his family. He began to inventory his own skills, asking himself what he was genuinely good at. He lacked a "divine right" to be a photographer or filmmaker, but he possessed an experimental spirit. Remembering the visceral energy of the Nike Joga Bonito commercials that defined his childhood, he decided to try his hand at film.

His first major project involved reaching out to Fikayo Tomori, who was then playing for Chelsea. Despite being a novice, Moses was able to secure the player’s participation in a project documenting his backstory. The experience of conceptualizing, filming, and uploading the project to YouTube was transformative. While he later dismissed the quality of the film, the act of bringing an idea to life and sharing it with the world was the most rewarding experience of his early career. That momentum continued with a film about Joe Gomez, another footballer who saw potential in the young filmmaker and helped fund his early work.

Soon after, Nike reached out for a series of advertisements for the Tiempo boot. Entering that professional environment at eighteen, Moses adopted a strategy of confidence. He acted older than his years, speaking with the authority of a seasoned director. He recognized that as a teenager, he was the target demographic for these brands, and he used that knowledge to push his own creative vision, ensuring the work felt authentic to his peers. He applied the rigorous, "black and white" mindset of the sports world to his creative process: in football, if you aren’t good, you don’t play. He understood that in the creative industry, the work must speak for itself, and excellence would naturally open doors.

His professional growth was further accelerated by his work with photographer Fabien Montique, who introduced him to the late Virgil Abloh at the Off-White studio. At nineteen, Moses was given the space to exist within the high-stakes environment of a fashion house. He was tasked with capturing behind-the-scenes moments, fitting photos, and show films, working alongside figures like Bella Hadid.

Virgil Abloh’s influence on him was profound, not just in terms of technical skill, but in his approach to mentorship and humility. Abloh was remarkably accessible; he would respond to messages and provide encouragement that, while seemingly small, served as a powerful validation for a young artist. Watching a man who had achieved global success maintain such openness and humility gave Moses the confidence to believe that he, too, could navigate the industry on his own terms.

Today, Moses finds his greatest inspiration in the creativity of everyday people. He is fascinated by the way individuals use social media to craft their own narratives, and he often incorporates this "real-world" energy into his commercial work. Whether he is casting non-professionals or pushing back against a brand’s conservative instincts, his goal is to challenge the status quo and ensure that a diverse array of voices is represented in the work he produces.

He maintains a disciplined, almost defiant approach to his career, often turning down opportunities that do not align with his vision. He would rather negotiate a smaller budget in exchange for creative autonomy than accept a high-profile project that lacks soul. His ultimate ambition is to normalize this creative independence, hoping that in the next fifteen years, more artists will feel empowered to pursue their craft on their own terms.

As he reflects on his journey, his advice to aspiring creatives remains anchored in authenticity. He emphasizes the necessity of being oneself, as this makes the process of research and development a natural extension of one’s personality. For the young Gabriel Moses, the practice of writing down a concept every day was essential—not because he had an immediate use for every idea, but because he understood that in the creative economy, one’s ideas are the most valuable currency. By training his brain to identify what he truly liked and why, he was able to build a career that is as singular as it is influential. As the evening at the V&A East Museum concluded, it was clear that Moses’s work is not merely about taking photographs or making films; it is about documenting the spirit of the people who shaped him, and in doing so, creating a legacy that inspires others to do the same.