Two women. Two perspectives. One visual language.
Gibson Kochanek is an independent creative studio developing visual concepts, art direction and distinctive visual languages for publications, brands and cultural institutions. Founded by two artists with contrasting perspectives, the practice creates visual narratives across editorial, advertising, entertainment and cultural commissions.
Every project begins with research, dialogue and experimentation, bringing typography, photography, composition and colour together with intention. We believe ideas deserve more than images; they deserve distinctive visual languages that give them meaningful and memorable form. Each commission is treated as a unique creative challenge, rather than shaped by a fixed house style.
At its core, Gibson Kochanek is about collaboration: between two creatives, concept and execution, intuition and precision, image and story.
FOUNDERS
Barbara Gibson and Marta Kochanek bring complementary creative disciplines to a shared practice built on curiosity, collaboration and craft. Together, they combine artistic exploration with strategic thinking to develop visual concepts, art direction and distinctive visual narratives.
Barbara works across collage, editorial imagery and contemporary visual storytelling. Her practice is rooted in composition, reduction and the expressive potential of photography, balancing conceptual clarity with emotional depth. Influenced by Swiss modernism and Bauhaus principles, she brings structure, rhythm and precision to her visual narratives.
Marta works across creative direction, design systems and motion-led visual identities, developing concepts and visual ideas from the outset. Her early background in photography, including working with Annie Leibovitz, established a strong foundation in image-making, composition and visual storytelling. Today, she combines strategic thinking with intuitive experimentation to originate ideas and build visual frameworks across print, digital and moving image. Her approach brings structure, adaptability and momentum to every collaboration.