Igniting Creation Through The Cinematic Lens

Premiering with Armadillo’s new rug collection designed in collaboration with the Catalonian artist Carla Cascales Alimbau, Chiaroscuro is a cinematic ode to the rhythms of nature, plus the instinctual act of making. Captured through the evocative lens of the Academy Award-winning cinematographer, Greig Fraser – whose work includes Dune, Lion, The Batman and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, amongst others – its intimate, innovative style adds a unique perspective to the evolution of the highly sculptural pieces.

Directed by Fraser’s life partner and Armadillo co-founder, Jodie Fried, together they travelled across Australia, Nepal and India, also visiting Cascales Alimbau in her Barcelona studio to capture her artistic practice. Framing the story with depth and richness, the work draws the new Gaia collection into a broader dialogue amongst hand-crafted design, fine art and ecology.

Armadillo talks to Fraser about the filming process – from concept to completion.

"At the heart of it all is a powerful idea: capturing the intersection of nature, art and movement."

- Greig Fraser

You normally shoot a film or a commercial with a script and team. How did you approach this project?

There was no script, but Jodie had a vivid and focused vision. At the heart of it all is a powerful idea: capturing the intersection of nature, art and movement. The patterns and colours found in the natural landscape are a form of art in themselves, and that was our guiding light. With that overarching idea, we set out to record, capture, and be inspired by what we saw, and to allow one thing to lead to the creation of another.

That freedom was incredibly enjoyable. As we travelled from place to place there was no strict schedule. In many ways, that was the most liberating part of the process, especially coming from the film world where tight schedules and financial constraints often dominate the creative flow. Everything we captured was there because we were genuinely drawn to it in a given moment. That authenticity means the viewer is seeing only what truly resonated with us.

You and Jodie travelled to multiple corners of the world. How did the environments you encountered shape the visual language of the motion image?

Every country has its own color and feel. In Australia, the light is famously harsh, so we shot mostly in the early mornings, late afternoons, and into the evening when it softens. In Nepal, India and even Barcelona, the light’s naturally softer and the colors appear dusty. We had to work harder to get that look in Australia thanks to shooting times and pushing the camera’s sensitivity to the edge to get this grainier, more textured feel.

"The aim was to capture beauty – nature’s rhythms and contradictions: the push and pull, light and shadow, movement and stillness. In doing so, we found a natural harmony with Carla’s work."

- Greig Fraser

Your work is renowned for its atmospheric and emotional resonance. Did these qualities guide the way you approached filming the collaboration between Armadillo and Carla, and capturing the soul of the GAIA collection?

The aim was to capture beauty – nature’s rhythms and contradictions: the push and pull, light and shadow, movement and stillness. In doing so, we found a natural harmony with Carla’s work. Hopefully, the viewer can sense that too – a poetic fusion of nature and femininity, of quiet detail and magic. Filming Carla’s work felt really natural, almost subconscious. I didn’t plan to match her naturalism or style. It just happened that way because I connected with it emotionally.

How did Jodie’s design intuition and deep understanding of Armadillo’s legacy influence the way you approached storytelling for the motion image?

Jodie possesses an incredible understanding of color. She has this subtle, intuitive way of expressing emotion through shifts in tone. I’ve learned a great deal from her in that respect. In working on this particular project, that sensitivity to color became a guiding force. I responded to the way Carla’s palette feels like nature itself with no dominating tones. Everything she uses, even her pigments, feels earthy and organic. I also found myself deeply inspired by the intensity and nuances of light at different times of day, and by the textures and tones of the places we visited.

This project is an artist capturing an artist, and the aesthetic of the images feels distinctly arthaus. What kind of depth did shooting on film bring to that creative exchange?

No single frame carries the whole meaning. It’s the layering of images, like life itself, that creates something resonant. Ideally, it leaves space for the viewer to be inspired, to create something of their own, and pass that experience on.

It’s not always the most ‘beautiful’ shot that tells the story;it’s the one that carries the most feeling. The team at Invisible North in New York who produced this piece were instrumental in weaving those moments into a cohesive narrative – one that brings Carla and the Armadillo story to life.

How do you approach capturing the expressions of Mother nature through your lens?

The textures in the rugs echo those found in nature, and that connection became a source of creative motivation. Light played a big role too. Harsh overhead light can flatten texture, but in the softer light of late afternoon or evening, those same textures become gentler, more nuanced, more beautiful. It was about capturing that feeling, that quiet shift, where mood and material meet.

There’s a lot of movement in Carla’s work – the running liquid resin set in motion that dries and the wash of her paintings that was once wet and moving. Did this inspire or inform your moving images?

Carla’s work feelslike it’s in motion, as though it’s been paused mid-journey rather than reaching a final conclusion. That’swhat’s beautiful about the moving image: it lets you continue that journey or reflect on where it might’ve gone. The rugs also carry movement in them through their undulating gradients and rhythms, plus the way light seems to shimmer across them.

Can you tell us about the cameras and techniques that you experimented and captured both still and moving image?

I used a mix of cameras – a Fuji Turner motion, Fuji GFX stills as motion, and the Black Magic 17K – as they’re easy to handle without a big crew. That gave me more freedom to be spontaneous and responsive to what was happening. We used a bunch of lenses too, both spherical and anamorphic, to play with formats and feel. But honestly, I think the technical stuff matters less as most viewers don’t consciously notice what lenses are doing. What really mattered to me was being able to create a mood –something interesting or unusual that really stood out.

"What I’d hope for is that it could become something gently meditative, just enough that you slow down and enjoy the experience of each frame, knowing there’s no rush to move on.I think it’s important that we are reminded to pause."

- Greig Fraser

What would you like people to take away from this motion image?

It’s the opposite of what people usually get from everyday social media which is fast, fleeting, quickly edited, insubstantial imagery that’s become background noise in our minds. Sometimes we just need something quieter. The piece is gentle and intentionally unhurried. What I’d hope for is that it could become something gently meditative – just enough that you slow down and enjoy the experience of each frame – knowing there’s no rush to move on. I think it’s important that we are reminded to pause.