Growing up in London, Gigi Gorlova was always drawn to the art world. She studied Illustration at Camberwell College of Arts, but her career initially took her in a different direction. After graduation, she moved into digital marketing, a role that seemed temporary but stretched on for more than a decade. When she relocated to Dubai for another marketing position, the realisation hit that something was missing. “I felt secure, but there was no spark,” she recalls. “I knew I wasn’t doing the work that truly fulfilled me.” That spark arrived one evening in the most unexpected way. Gigi stumbled across a Twitch stream of someone creating a character in 3D software and instantly felt captivated. “Something about it lit me up. I downloaded the software that night and started teaching myself. Within weeks, I was hooked.” The passion quickly took over, and even though her old laptop couldn’t handle the heavy rendering, her father, a computer engineer, built her a custom PC to keep her going.

Deciding to pivot her career in her thirties was not easy, but it was impossible to ignore. “Changing careers at that stage felt like a huge risk but not doing it would have been an even bigger one,” she says. She threw herself into learning, experimenting, and sharing her work online. Doors began opening in Dubai’s creative community in ways she had never imagined, leading to collaborations with global names and eventually the launch of her own studio.

Today, Gigi is the co-founder of Vexiam Studio alongside her husband and creative partner, 3D artist Aymen Selmi. Together, they have built a business that is carving out a reputation for cinematic CGI and VFX that rivals global players. Their projects span fashion, luxury, and large-scale events, and while many of the most high-profile commissions remain under wraps due to confidentiality, the scope of the brands and organisations trusting them has been a turning point. “Some of the projects that shaped us the most are the ones I can’t actually talk about,” she admits. “But the fact that we’ve been trusted with them shows that even though we are still young as a studio, we can stand shoulder to shoulder with the biggest names.”

For Gigi, creativity always begins with observation. “As a 3D artist, everyday life becomes a kind of classroom. I watch how light bends through glass or how the wind rustles leaves; those details stay in my mind. The technical side comes later, and that’s when things get messy. Renders crash, simulations fall apart, but often something new comes out of those mistakes. That’s when the work feels alive.”

Running a studio has brought its own set of challenges, and she is candid about the shift from being an individual creator to becoming an entrepreneur. “As a freelancer, you focus on the art. Running a business brings a whole new skill set. At first, it was intimidating, but I approached it the same way I approach 3D: break it down into smaller problems, figure them out step by step, and keep going.”

Balancing creativity with the practical side of entrepreneurship is something she has learned to manage rather than master. “Balance doesn’t really exist; it’s about managing time. The admin and meetings have to happen, but the creative work is what keeps everything moving forward. That usually happens at night, when the world slows down and I can focus.”

Vexiam is also very much a family affair, and she credits that closeness for helping the studio grow. “Because Aymen and I both live and breathe 3D, we’re the first to admit we’re terrible at traditional work-life balance,” she says. “But this chapter of our lives is about building. 

Being a woman in a male-dominated industry is something Gigi takes pride in. “When I started, I didn’t see many women in CGI. That’s slowly changing, especially in Dubai, where the industry is young but moving fast. The pace here creates opportunities you might not find elsewhere, and for women, that means we can step in and help shape something still in the making.” She is passionate about encouraging young women to take the leap into creative industries, even if they don’t feel fully ready. “My advice would be: don’t wait. Start with what you have and learn as you go. I made a complete career change in my thirties with just a basic laptop, so there’s no perfect timeline. Creativity doesn’t follow a straight path. There will be setbacks and doubt, but those challenges are part of the process. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and trust that the region rewards initiative and bravery. Opportunities come faster than you think.”

Looking ahead, Gigi has ambitious goals both artistically and as a businesswoman. There are dream collaborations on the horizon with luxury brands and technology leaders, but she also envisions building original content, characters, stories, and animations that go beyond commercial projects. “The idea of creating something that could live on a platform like Netflix really excites me,” she says. “It’s about moving from just selling a product to creating stories that become part of people’s lives and memories.” At the same time, she admits her personal goal is simply to pause and celebrate what she and her team have already achieved. “It’s easy to get caught up in the next milestone. But part of the journey is also learning to stop, reflect, and enjoy the process.”