Projects & Collaborations across art, philosophy, film, museums and public engagement.
The National Gallery, London
Art & Philosophy through events, lectures, films, and Friday Lates.
Sir John Soane's Museum, Lincolns Inn Fields.
A new series exploring art, objects and ideas, launching 2027.
Portraiture & Broadcast
Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year. My heat airs 21 October, 2026.
My collaboration with the National Gallery brings philosophy into direct conversation with paintings in the collection. Through Friday Lates, talks and participatory events including 15 Minutes with a Philosopher, visitors are invited to use paintings as prompts for thinking about familiar but difficult questions: love, time, emotion, perception and the stories we tell about ourselves.The aim is simple: to make philosophy something we can do together, beginning with what we can see in front of us.
Upcoming events:
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15 Minutes with a Philosopher: Love, Gallery 18, October 2026
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Pictures as Time Machines: online talks, 2027
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I’ve been joyously collaborating with Sir John Soane’s Museum and the Centre for Philosophy & Art on a new series of evening events bringing philosophers, artists and audiences into conversation inside one of London’s most extraordinary collections. Further announcements to follow.
Portraiture & Broadcast
In 2026 I was selected to participate in Series 13 of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year.
Portraiture sits at the centre of both my painting and philosophical interests: how we see another person, what it means to capture likeness, and how a portrait can hold something more elusive than appearance alone.
My heat airs on Sky Arts on 21 October 2026. Further information to follow.
Research, exhibitions and public philosophy
I am Co-Director of the Centre for Philosophy & Art at King’s College London, working with Professor Sacha Golob.
The Centre brings philosophers, artists and cultural institutions together through exhibitions, films, public events, conferences and research projects. Much of my collaborative work with museums grows out of this intersection between visual art and philosophical enquiry.
Philosophy on Film
I make short films that ask whether philosophical ideas can be explored visually rather than only through written argument.
Recent projects supported by the British Society of Aesthetics include Francis Bacon & The Time of Monsters and Cogito in 16mm, developed with academic collaborators and Envis Media.
Writing & Cultural Collaborations
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My thoughts have also found their way into essays, programmes and commissioned writing for cultural organisations.
Recent work includes Dreaming in Candlelight: A Journey Through Time and Imagination for Shakespeare’s Globe’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Creative Collaborations
I was thrilled to be asked to illustrate and produce these music videos for Saul Damelyn's second album. Some nice reviews below (thank you!)
​Saul Damelyn / Envis Film Illustration, design and painterly animation for music and lyric-film projects for the second album, Kings, Queens & Dream Machines
"Vanessa Brassey’s lyric video mirrors this narrative, with flowing visuals that let the story emerge naturally."
Read the full review at Earmilk
"Brassey’s approach to animation is tactile and painterly, resisting the slickness of digital media to create warmth and texture. Her grounding in philosophy and fine art informs the project’s depth, ensuring the visual storytelling mirrors the song’s introspective qualities."
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Read the full review at ModernMystery
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Saul Damelyn’s “Museum of Love” arrives as a quietly arresting debut single on British indie label Damelyn Records. From the first notes, the song sets a reflective tone, pairing lyrical sophistication with melodic nuance. The accompanying lyric video, created by painter and animator Vanessa Brassey, elevates the music into a fully immersive visual journey.
Read the full review at ModernMystery
Creative Collaborations book jackets
Optimisti, a novel by Vid Simoniti. I was already a huge fan of Vid's, and really moved when he contacted me about one of the Messengers gracing the cover for his new novel. The painting is from the series 'The Messengers' by Vanessa Brassey.
Creative Collaborations residency
Forty Hall Vineyard. A painting residency exploring landscape, portraiture and community.
Work Together
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I’m always interested in collaborations that bring painting, philosophy, film and public engagement into conversation.
For museum projects, talks, commissions, film or creative collaborations, please get in touch.
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