Ukrainian director creates ad featuring rapper A$AP Rocky
The secret to Artem Shapyrenko’s (Shapxo) success lies in his unique visual style.
Artem began his career as a video editor at a Ukrainian production company. Early on, he also filmed behind-the-scenes footage for Ukrainian music video director Leonid Kossovskyi. After gaining experience, Shapyrenko began directing music videos for Ukrainian artists.
Shapxo’s first works didn’t gain much attention, but he kept refining his visual language. He was inspired by French directors Anton Tammi and Valentin Petit. One of his first notable projects in Ukraine was a music video for artist KLER, titled “Nestrymna.”
With ambitions to enter the global market, Artem moved to Berlin, where he started building connections with European artists. In 2023, he directed a video for American rapper Chris Brown for the track City of Dreams, using a 3D scanning technique.
“In one scene, I wanted to erase people from the digital space and bring them back into real life, so we scanned them in 3D right on set,” the director said.
Following that, Shapyrenko’s talent began gaining recognition in the West. Together with editor Mykyta Berah, he was commissioned to create the opening video for the Victoria’s Secret show — and delivered it with success.
A major milestone in his international career came with the advertisement for A$AP Rocky and Puma, released in November 2024. The spot promoted a new clothing line inspired by motorsport aesthetics.
Cover photo: zhytomyr.travel
