Meet Artist Zaria Forman, The Face Of Vacheron Constantin's Overseas Watch
In the rugged and dramatic landscape of Iceland, Vacheron Constantin’s new face, the artist Zaria Forman, immortalises the ephemeral beauty of glacier ice in her art.
I am out of my comfort zone 11,000km away from home, on the southern coast of Iceland. Several hours drive from the capital of Reykjavik, the landscapes I see rolling by could not be more alien to me. From lava fields possessing a strange, otherworldly beauty to green hills dotted with frolicking lambs to breathtaking waterfalls, Iceland it seems, has scenery for every adventure seeker.
Set against the raw beauty of active volcanoes looming large over the landscape and glaciers that can calve at a moment’s notice, it is not difficult to be awestruck by the pure power of Mother Nature.
I’m here in the name of finding out what makes an artist (and watch brand) tick at the invitation of the luxury Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin.
An outdoor picnic in Iceland amidst the raw beauty of Iceland.
Artist and Adventurer Zaria Forman Joins Forces with Vacheron Constantin
The 268-year-old brand had several ambitious launches up its sleeve in Iceland. Firstly, the announcement of American artist and adventurer Zaria Forman as the newest face in its “One of Not Many” campaign. It also marked the start of Forman’s exhibition “Fellsfjara, Iceland,” held in the Harpa Center in Reykjavik in September 2023. On display was her artwork that was borne from her previous travels to Iceland starting in 2021. They included the incredibly detailed, almost photorealistic pastel and charcoal drawings that she is known for, as well as newer mediums such as sculpture.
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The New Overseas Watch
Alongside the premiere of Forman, is the launch of a new pink gold and diamond version of the brand’s iconic Overseas watch. The new Overseas is a sleek and sporty, self-winding pink gold model with a 35mm diameter and its matching golden dial is adorned with a sunburst satin-brushed finish. It’s a beautiful watch, with a chic tone-on-tone effect accentuated by 90 diamonds finely set on a six-sided bezel. While Forman prefers hers with the matching pink gold bracelet there are two other straps that the watch comes with—white calfskin leather with tone-on-tone stitching and white rubber. Like Forman, it is a timepiece that is casually elegant yet hardy. Hardy enough to follow its wearer to even the most remote of locations. For this adventure, our group’s travel itinerary would encompass several spectacular Icelandic spots including the Kvernufoss and Skogafoss waterfalls and the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, where we will kayak. Throughout this journey I am wearing the Overseas watch, a 33m-steel version with a diamond-studded bezel. With its black rubber strap, it has a sporty vibe that suits the adventurous nature of our activities which include light hikes and horse rides. Another beauty, the watch sits unobtrusively on the wrist, so sleek and light I forget I am wearing it at times, though when I do catch a glimpse, I am always struck by its elegance.
Vacheron Constantin Overseas watch (35mm) in pink gold with a diamond bezel.
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Journey to Diamond Beach
Our journey culminates in a trip to Diamond Beach—known in Icelandic as Breiðamerkursandur. The beach, which lies near the Jökulsárlónglacier lagoon, is where the campaign was shot and where Forman did many of the studies that inform her most recent body of work. So named for large pieces of glacier ice from the nearby lagoon that wash up upon the black sand shore like glittering pieces of diamonds, it is a serene and almost surreal landscape. Yet the journey and all the things we have seen along the way begs the question, “With so many spectacular sites in Iceland and around the world, why did Forman fixate on ice in her practice?”
Jökulsárlónglacier lagoon in Iceland.
“Ice is at the core of my work. And that all began in 2007 when I went to Greenland and saw glaciers for the first time with my family,” says Forman. Understanding and seeing the urgency of the climate change crisis up close, she was captivated by the subject on many levels and continues to be intrigued by it. “Probably because it’s a problem that’s not dissipating. But also, ice in general is a subject that continues to inspire me because there’s so much to continue to learn about rendering its surfaces and depths, and it keeps me on my toes.”
Zaria Forman photographed at Diamond Beach, Iceland.
Capturing Ice in her Artwork
Even though the glacier ice calves that wash up on Diamond Beach are something that Forman has seen several times, every experience is different. “With ice, it can look completely different if it’s not lit up in the right way or in a certain way. Even though I don’t like waking up early, it’s so worth it to see the sunrise and to see the light change and shift over the glacier and into the lagoon—it’s so magical,” says Forman. When she’s back home, she captures the ice that she has photographed in as much detail as possible. It’s a painstaking process using pastels and charcoal on paper that speaks of both Forman’s meticulous attention to detail and her sharp eye. But Forman favours the medium over photography as these renderings draw the viewer in, inviting them to take a closer look, and in the process bringing them a step closer to her subject.
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Artwork by Zaria Forman, “Fellsfjara, Iceland, No. 3” (2022).
It is not difficult to see why Forman, an amiable yet deeply passionate artist, was chosen to be the campaign face for “One of Not Many.” The CEO of Vacheron Constantin, Louis Ferla says she has a visionary, sensitive and demanding outlook in her artistic approach that reflects the Maison’s own quest for excellence and its taste for adventure and innovation. “She is a socially committed artist keenly aware that art conveys emotions, and is eager to share beauty with the public,” says Ferla.
Although Forman was not previously familiar with Vacheron Constantin, she learned very quickly that she shared much in common with the Maison’s heritage and values. She says, “I knew nothing about high watchmaking and discovered this incredible world through Vacheron Constantin’s lens. I was amazed by the craftspeople who ply their trade within the manufacture, by their passion and vocation, and, above all, their handcrafted work, which reminds me of my own: modelling with my fingertips; enjoying a tactile and sensual relationship with matter in a process of creation and transmission; making a personal imprint on time and giving it a voice.” And ultimately both Vacheron Constantin and Forman are consumed with capturing the beauty of time. “The landscapes I love and depict in my work illustrate the passage of time, and its impact on the world and on humankind.”