Gillian O'Brien is a set designer and botanical artist working in fashion photography, film and advertising.
In 2016, she founded The Flower Laboratory, an art-led botanical practice which explores our connection to nature and combines her expertise in set design, creating immersive natural environments for fashion, beauty, advertising, events and film.
Spanning two decades, O'Brien has worked extensively as a set designer building and creating detailed, imaginative worlds that enhance the narrative contributing to the most captivating and arresting visual storytelling within the industry. Her ability to blend artistic vision with practical design enables her to fulfil tight deadlines, manage budgets and deliver ambitious briefs. Her work in advertising showcases her ability to integrate art, nature, and commercial goals, creating campaigns that resonate on both an aesthetic and an emotional level.
As a botanical artist, O'Brien focuses on observing and documenting the wildness of nature , travelling far and wide to see plants in their natural habitats. Qualified in RHS botany and garden design, she has the understanding and plant knowledge to source plants, design complex planting schemes which grow and thrive and can imitate and translate nature with sensitivity and ecological respect to create realistic and accurate sets as well as imaginative ones.
Clients include Dries Van Noten, Jo Malone, Burberry, Anthropologie…. And more…
