
Interview with Azsa West: »Art is the foundation of everything I’m doing«
Raised by dolphins and educated at the legendary and experimental Wieden+Kennedy advertising school, Azsa West follows her very own path. Now in her role as Executive Creative Director at Anomaly Berlin.

You have worked at W+K offices around the world. Was that something you had in mind from the beginning?
Not initially. It was the 12 application that got me. It was really honest, beautiful and funny. It basically said that they were looking for lost souls who had something to say. And I had something to say, but nothing to lose. I was 22, dirt poor, didn’t have a job and was probably living in someone’s basement. I couldn’t just hang out in Portland forever, just being gay and going to coffee shops (laughs). I wanted to have some focus in my life and a deeper understanding of myself and what I was good at.


And after you finished the program, they offered you a job.
They did. But I didn’t understand advertising and still very much wanted to be an artist. So I respectfully said no – and went to Berlin to make art with my best friend. But after some time, and a very low bank account – I was ready to give advertising a try (laughs). All I had was my sketchbook when I applied and that was what I was hired on.
What did it show?
I wish I had it here. But it’s on a boat right now being shipped to Berlin where we live now. It’s like a visual diary of ideas, collage, found imagery, drawings, lists, and writings – and demonstrates how I see the world, I guess.
It’s impressive to hire people this way.
Thank you. And to keep it honest, I still keep the first thing I ever made in my portfolio. It’s a good reminder of where you come from. It was for the Nike Women’s campaign Training is the opposite of hoping. Most art directors were using Photoshop, but I was working with black duct tape, inspired by sports tape boxers use on their knuckles. I remember showing up to the first check in with the creative directors feeling so nervous because I didn’t know what I was doing. Even back then this was unusual. But their support and my naïveté enabled me to create a space for doing things my own way.
About living all over the world, you said that you are one of those “annoying high-maintenance creative types who’s very sensitive to their environment” and “gets this pull towards a new adventure” every two years.
I’m growing up a bit, but that’s the way it has worked for me for a long time. I almost felt like a SWAT team going where W+K would need help in another part of the world. I was always up for the adventure and luckily my wife too. She was an acrobat in an Australian circus for a long time and is super traveled.
Living in cities like Berlin, Shanghai and Tokyo, I guess, as a foreigner you are always an outsider. How has that shaped your creative work?
Working in foreign countries is always a balancing act. You have to be respectful and open and figure out how you address ideas and bring in new inspiration without coming at things the wrong way. Saving face is a real thing too in certain parts of Asia. You have to be able to give feedback in a way that doesn’t crush egos, comes off constructive, and gets through to people for them to see it for what it is and not take it personally. But in Shanghai, my key difference was not only being Western, but also being a gay female creative director. Some men I worked with struggled with that, especially when it came to treating me as their boss. It was also challenging at times to bring a creative vision to life in a society where sexism is more prevalent. At the same time, China felt like a very physical, sensorial place, and I loved that about living there. I’m more of an introvert and was forced to come out of my head and be more present in the world. That unlocked certain parts of myself and I saw my work changing in that way too. It became more expressive and bolder. Living at all these amazing places is really an opportunity. I carry all those experiences in me and they continue to inspire me.
You also worked in Tokyo, where a completely different visual language exists.
My wife is half Japanese, so I had been there many times before. But I was still in my observing phase. It was especially exciting that I worked for the luxury market there and could express myself in that way.
What did you do?
One of the works I’m most proud of, is the brand campaign for Shiseido’s skincare collection Waso with artist Viviane Sassen. It didn’t feel like trying to sell something, it was just like a very pure and really contemporary expression of what the product is and brought together science, nature, and art. Actually we had so much freedom that it was the closest thing to making art.
Another spot for Shiseido combines blooming flowers, mushrooms and a robot in a very unusual way. It’s much more abstract than Western spots.
Yes, the Japanese market is very sophisticated and has much more appreciation for design-driven and visually focused work – especially in the premium landscape. It validated my belief that we shouldn’t be afraid to put more tasteful work in front of an audience. I really loved living there.
But you left after a while.
Our son was only a couple of years old back then and the work-life-balance in Japan is really challenging. I rarely saw my family.
You emphasize being an indigenous and queer person of color. How does that play into your work?
It plays a role in many ways, behind the scenes and out in the front. We all come into the world with different scales of privilege. I didn’t have very many of them early on, but someone saw something in me before I even did myself. I want to return the favor now, especially to people who, like me, come from underrepresented backgrounds. I also think it’s super important to be aware of the responsibility we have, regarding the messages one puts into the world.
How does that manifest?
Many ways. But one place is with casting. We need different role models to inspire us, and it also makes a huge difference seeing people like ourselves represented in media and mainstream, in art and culture, and showing that we have a seat at the table too, and that we’re being treated equally and with respect. But there are many facets. It can also be about the crew. It helps to make certain work from an authentic point of view by hiring people that understand that or have certain experiences.
Advertising is a sharp knife and I want to use it for more diversity and tolerance and to push things.
Where in your work can you see that the most?
I think there are many examples, but the Nike Korea spot Run It is definitely one. It’s pushing against Korean culture, where there are very specific expectations society and your family have on how you have to be like. We pushed against stereotypes and cast a young man who is half Black and half Korean, what had never happened there before. And we cast a woman with acne. It’s all about make-up and plastic surgery there, and you would never show yourself like that. These things seem small to us, but for the people who live in that society they meant a lot.

There’s also the little chubby boy . . .
Oh yes, and he dances. We pushed really hard to cast someone who wasn’t a young Justin Bieber type at all (laughs). And it’s a really catchy opening for the film, non-linear and experimental. It doesn’t feel like a commercial, but it grabs you. That’s a way of working that excites me. And it’s also a successful one, I think. Because you are more likely to capture people’s hearts when you work from your heart.
Is this where your artistic approach comes in?
Art is the foundation of everything I’m doing, and I approach my work as intuitively as I approach my art. Sometimes your choices just can’t be rationalized. For me, my work mostly starts with a feeling. If you’re trying to make someone feel something, you need to feel it yourself first. But the tricky part is, that different from art, the work we do with brands is not just about you. You have to keep so many other things in mind, the brand values, the brief, the client, where the world is at. But you learn that over time.
You’ve been a part of a lot of art shows, one even in the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Are you still working on your own art projects?
I continue to make art for myself. Filmmaking is also super important to me. Directing has always secretly been my favorite part of the process. When I was in China, and we had an assignment to shoot a Taiwanese pop star, the client asked me last minute if I could just direct it. I did and now it’s evolved into a passion of mine. And recently, I was even lucky enough to have a production company sign me.

What does your art look like and how does it influence your work?
In my daily practice it’s mixed media and still like a stream of consciousness. I like to combine and organize my observations in a way that makes sense to me.
You’re doing art daily?
Yes, but daily could mean five minutes or an hour. I do a lot of drawing and I also paint and sometimes I work with Photoshop. I have a variety of interests, depending on which mood I’m in. Every time I move to a new city, a lot of ideas come with that too. But every person comes up with ideas in their own way, and I think it’s important to honor people’s process.
I always found it strange when people try to mandate a way of working, and I think openness in approaching ideas also comes from art.
Do you think that there is a new generation of creatives on the top floors of agencies? Not the white guys with big cars and expensive houses in exclusive residential areas anymore but more diverse people with a different lifestyle? Like you now at Anomaly Berlin?
I think progress is being made, but we are still not there yet. But that situation was part of why I took this position. I want to see different kinds of people in places of power who can make more change. I don’t imagine I will do it perfectly. I have a lot to learn. But I think different kinds of leaders are important. Life is so nuanced and there are so many different kinds of people in the world that need to be represented. It’s still a long way to go, but specifically at Anomaly in Berlin we’re on the right path. We have 30 different nationalities and almost 60 percent of our staff is female, and everyone has a unique story.

Probably the next big thing would be to overcome ageism. You’re rarely see women over 50 in agencies.
Absolutely. We should be judging people for their thinking or their ideas, not their age, their gender, their sexuality, or their skin.
Now you’re in Berlin and I saw that you already have a tattoo on your arm that says Berlin.
TBO, I got that 15 years ago and try to keep it a secret! I was very young and probably drunk at the time. But maybe it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy in a way (laughs).
What makes Berlin so special for you that you wanted to come here?
Berlin is like a paradox. It’s this big city and cultural epicenter of Europe. There’s so much creative energy here and so much is happening. At the same time, it’s so peaceful and so laid-back. I like this balance and love to just walk around and look at everything. I always see something interesting and inspiring, and I’m very fortunate to be here and to be a part of it.
This article was being published in PAGE 05.2022. You can download the whole magazine here.