GEMMA HARRAD | she/her
Creative Direction, Moving Image, Photography
gemma-harrad.com
gemmaharrad.studio@gmail.com
Linkedin
Hong Kong / London
Creative Direction, Moving Image, Photography
gemma-harrad.com
gemmaharrad.studio@gmail.com
Hong Kong / London
Gemma Harrad is a Creative Director, Video Director and Photographer based in Hong Kong, with nine years of experience across agency, in-house and freelance contexts.
A foundation in Graphic Design at Central Saint Martins shaped her approach to conceptual thinking, visual problem-solving and design. These skills carried with her as she moved into video production and photography, working towards mood-driven and narrative forms of storytelling. Her practice moves between branded content for clients like Mandarin Oriental, Rosewood and Mott 32, and an independent body of work. Co-founding Likewise Magazine and directing short documentaries, music videos and editorial work, she gives voice to the places, people and subcultures she's drawn to. Across both, she brings a documentary sensibility to everything she makes, collaborating with clients in hospitality, wellness and lifestyle across Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and beyond.
A foundation in Graphic Design at Central Saint Martins shaped her approach to conceptual thinking, visual problem-solving and design. These skills carried with her as she moved into video production and photography, working towards mood-driven and narrative forms of storytelling. Her practice moves between branded content for clients like Mandarin Oriental, Rosewood and Mott 32, and an independent body of work. Co-founding Likewise Magazine and directing short documentaries, music videos and editorial work, she gives voice to the places, people and subcultures she's drawn to. Across both, she brings a documentary sensibility to everything she makes, collaborating with clients in hospitality, wellness and lifestyle across Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and beyond.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Freelance Multimedia Creative
Sep 2017 – Present | Hong Kong
Photography, videography and graphic design.
Clients: The Henderson, M+ Museum, Swire Hotels, The Upper House, Art Basel, SCMP Goldthread, Johnnie Walker, Rosewood
Head of Content
Studio Aether Sep 2024 – Nov 2025 | Hong Kong
Creative direction and content production for clients in hospitality, wellness and lifestyle across Hong Kong, Thailand and Indonesia. Brand development for in-house brands Aether Living and Aether Atelier, including interior architecture photography, social reels and content for luxury property rentals.
Clients: Mott 32, Maana Atelier, Matcha Li, Building Narrative, Self Alchemy, The Lamai Samui, Fivelements.
Creative Director
Handl Media Oct 2023 – Sep 2024 | Hong Kong
Creative direction and video direction for brand campaigns, short documentary films and lifestyle content.
Clients: Mandarin Oriental, Rosewood, Regent Hong Kong, The WEMP Foundation x Naked Heart Foundation, Hong Kong Land Centricity, Cathay Pacific.
Co-Founder and Creative Director
Dusk Media Jan 2023 – Oct 2023 | Hong Kong
Photography and video production for fashion campaigns, product launches, e-commerce and interviews.
Clients: Steelcase, Soulmatte, Street Value
Camera and Production Assistant
Capsule48 Aug 2023 – Sep 2023 | Hong Kong
B-camera operation and event photography and videography.
Clients: Swire Taikoo Place, Cathay Pacific
Midweight Creative
The Floristry Mar 2021 – Dec 2022 | Hong Kong
In-house videographer and photographer. Directed and produced brand campaigns, interview videos and promotional content.
Multimedia Designer
The University of Hong Kong Jul 2020 – Dec 2020 | Hong Kong
Research Assistant for the Food Nature Lab. Created 27 educational videos for the Vegetable ABC series, redesigned the programme website and produced graphics, podcasts and social content.
SELECTED WORKS
Mott 32 | The Sourcing Journey — Studio Aether 2025 | China & Hong Kong
Studio Aether travelled to document ingredient sourcing for Mott 32's seasonal menu offering Hairy Crab and Yellow Wine. Short documentary-style films and photography on location in China and in-venue in Hong Kong.
Mandarin Oriental — Handl Media 2023–2024 | Hong Kong & Macau
Hotel brand campaign and social content promoting new menus.
WEMP Foundation x Naked Heart Foundation | The Children's Ball — Handl Media 2024 | France & Hong Kong
Short documentary screened at the opening of The Children's Ball, Hong Kong 2024. Documenting the joint mission of both foundations to support vulnerable children in Hong Kong and Paris, France.
Hong Kong Land | Centricity — Handl Media 2024
Co-led the creative direction for Centricity's app launch campaign, a brand film that humanised a digital product by putting its community of users at the centre. Rather than leading with features, the film showed how the app shapes and elevates the everyday workday: from perks to lifestyle moments for tenants across Hong Kong Land's Central portfolio.
M+ Museum | Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival — Likewise 2025 | Hong Kong
Freelance in collaboration with Likewise Magazine. Event teasers and post-event recap video.
Art Basel | Meet the Collectors - Alan Lau — Freelance 2021 | Hong Kong & Macau
Camera operation. Portrait film with collector Alan Lau at his Wong Chuk Hang studio, and promotional films spotlighting Hong Kong institutions ahead of Art Basel Hong Kong 2023.
Rosewood — Handl Media 2023–2024 | Hong Kong
Branded content for social channels including a farm visit with Chef Daniel Humm and documentation of the STATIC A installation by Frederik Molenschot and Piet Boon for Culture Talks 2024, coinciding with Art Basel Hong Kong.
Reuben James, Big People Music 2025 | Hong Kong
Video direction for music videos for Own Thing, So Lucky, Teach Me and Show Me Your Love from the 2025 album release.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE AND EDITORIAL
Adoptees Film Festival 2024–2025 | Remote Hong Kong Shorts Selection Committee Jury Member.
Likewise Magazine 2020–2025 | Hong Kong
Co-Founder and Editor. Independent platform documenting culture across Asia through short documentary films, interviews and photography. Directed House of Calligraphy, a short documentary portrait of calligrapher Ouyoung Cheung, one of the last remaining tenants of the State Theatre in North Point, Hong Kong.
In Good Company 2026 — The Heath January | Hong Kong
Metronomy Summer 08 | Central Saint Martins Group Show 2017 | London Co-director for music video and interactive exhibition. Filmed members of the Lambeth Chinese Community Association practicing tai chi at their community centre, then invited them to perform live at the exhibition alongside the work.
EDUCATION
BA Graphic Design | Moving Image pathway
Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London 2014 – 2017
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London 2013 – 2014
Arts Residency LungA School
Seydisfjördur, Iceland Jan – Mar 2026
Freelance Multimedia Creative
Sep 2017 – Present | Hong Kong
Photography, videography and graphic design.
Clients: The Henderson, M+ Museum, Swire Hotels, The Upper House, Art Basel, SCMP Goldthread, Johnnie Walker, Rosewood
Head of Content
Studio Aether Sep 2024 – Nov 2025 | Hong Kong
Creative direction and content production for clients in hospitality, wellness and lifestyle across Hong Kong, Thailand and Indonesia. Brand development for in-house brands Aether Living and Aether Atelier, including interior architecture photography, social reels and content for luxury property rentals.
Clients: Mott 32, Maana Atelier, Matcha Li, Building Narrative, Self Alchemy, The Lamai Samui, Fivelements.
Creative Director
Handl Media Oct 2023 – Sep 2024 | Hong Kong
Creative direction and video direction for brand campaigns, short documentary films and lifestyle content.
Clients: Mandarin Oriental, Rosewood, Regent Hong Kong, The WEMP Foundation x Naked Heart Foundation, Hong Kong Land Centricity, Cathay Pacific.
Co-Founder and Creative Director
Dusk Media Jan 2023 – Oct 2023 | Hong Kong
Photography and video production for fashion campaigns, product launches, e-commerce and interviews.
Clients: Steelcase, Soulmatte, Street Value
Camera and Production Assistant
Capsule48 Aug 2023 – Sep 2023 | Hong Kong
B-camera operation and event photography and videography.
Clients: Swire Taikoo Place, Cathay Pacific
Midweight Creative
The Floristry Mar 2021 – Dec 2022 | Hong Kong
In-house videographer and photographer. Directed and produced brand campaigns, interview videos and promotional content.
Multimedia Designer
The University of Hong Kong Jul 2020 – Dec 2020 | Hong Kong
Research Assistant for the Food Nature Lab. Created 27 educational videos for the Vegetable ABC series, redesigned the programme website and produced graphics, podcasts and social content.
SELECTED WORKS
Mott 32 | The Sourcing Journey — Studio Aether 2025 | China & Hong Kong
Studio Aether travelled to document ingredient sourcing for Mott 32's seasonal menu offering Hairy Crab and Yellow Wine. Short documentary-style films and photography on location in China and in-venue in Hong Kong.
Mandarin Oriental — Handl Media 2023–2024 | Hong Kong & Macau
Hotel brand campaign and social content promoting new menus.
WEMP Foundation x Naked Heart Foundation | The Children's Ball — Handl Media 2024 | France & Hong Kong
Short documentary screened at the opening of The Children's Ball, Hong Kong 2024. Documenting the joint mission of both foundations to support vulnerable children in Hong Kong and Paris, France.
Hong Kong Land | Centricity — Handl Media 2024
Co-led the creative direction for Centricity's app launch campaign, a brand film that humanised a digital product by putting its community of users at the centre. Rather than leading with features, the film showed how the app shapes and elevates the everyday workday: from perks to lifestyle moments for tenants across Hong Kong Land's Central portfolio.
M+ Museum | Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival — Likewise 2025 | Hong Kong
Freelance in collaboration with Likewise Magazine. Event teasers and post-event recap video.
Art Basel | Meet the Collectors - Alan Lau — Freelance 2021 | Hong Kong & Macau
Camera operation. Portrait film with collector Alan Lau at his Wong Chuk Hang studio, and promotional films spotlighting Hong Kong institutions ahead of Art Basel Hong Kong 2023.
Rosewood — Handl Media 2023–2024 | Hong Kong
Branded content for social channels including a farm visit with Chef Daniel Humm and documentation of the STATIC A installation by Frederik Molenschot and Piet Boon for Culture Talks 2024, coinciding with Art Basel Hong Kong.
Reuben James, Big People Music 2025 | Hong Kong
Video direction for music videos for Own Thing, So Lucky, Teach Me and Show Me Your Love from the 2025 album release.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE AND EDITORIAL
Adoptees Film Festival 2024–2025 | Remote Hong Kong Shorts Selection Committee Jury Member.
Likewise Magazine 2020–2025 | Hong Kong
Co-Founder and Editor. Independent platform documenting culture across Asia through short documentary films, interviews and photography. Directed House of Calligraphy, a short documentary portrait of calligrapher Ouyoung Cheung, one of the last remaining tenants of the State Theatre in North Point, Hong Kong.
In Good Company 2026 — The Heath January | Hong Kong
Metronomy Summer 08 | Central Saint Martins Group Show 2017 | London Co-director for music video and interactive exhibition. Filmed members of the Lambeth Chinese Community Association practicing tai chi at their community centre, then invited them to perform live at the exhibition alongside the work.
EDUCATION
BA Graphic Design | Moving Image pathway
Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London 2014 – 2017
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London 2013 – 2014
Arts Residency LungA School
Seydisfjördur, Iceland Jan – Mar 2026