The artist’s limited-edition artwork adorns the packaging of the Grande Couronne 26 Year Old, an opulent whisky finished in rare French Cognac casks.
Glenfiddich, the World’s Most Awarded Single Malt Whisky has launched the Grande Couronne, the latest addition to the Grand Series in Kenya. In honour of this new release, Glenfiddich presents a collaboration with contemporary Kenyan artist WiseTwo.
The Grande Couronne is a 26 Year Old whisky matured in American and European oak casks at the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland, before the crowning glory – an extended finish of up to two years in meticulously sourced French Cognac casks – providing a true taste of elegance and opulence.
And, what better way to crown the golden moment than to team up with the crème de crème from this part of the world. Glenfiddich has collaborated with a top acclaimed, self-taught street artist from Kenya-Bhupi Jethwa (widely known as WiseTwo), to bring the experience to life.
WiseTwo is one of 20 artists from around the world invited to reimagine the Grande Couronne’s luxurious design through their artist interpretation. The experienced artist took up the challenge backed by a perfected craft spanning 15 years in different countries. He is credited for painting some of the largest and most outstanding murals in East and Central Africa.
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The Glenfiddich Grand Couronne is borne from the merging of two worlds coming together: the Scottish craftsmanship of fine whisky making and the French excellence towards the making of cognac. It is from this merging of craftsmanship that WiseTwo drew his inspiration for the Grand Couronne custom sleeve. He added his distinct style and artistic point of view, bringing to life the elements of ancient fusion, vibrancy and alchemy to add his perspective to the collaboration.
“I have this special thing for the ancient world; I admire how societies in the past would document their lives. We are what we are because of that rich heritage, and so when I am doing my artwork, that’s the fusion I like to portray in my work. The Glenfiddich Grand Couronne is borne from the merging of two worlds. Similarly, my work is a collision of cultures and influences.”
Hieroglyphs (a signature of WiseTwo’s work) around the entire sleeve reinterpret the intricate filigree design featured on the Grande Couronne bottle. In addition, this has been given a Spot UV treatment so that there is richness in texture and depth not just when viewed but when touched. He also integrates the subtle shape of a mask at the center of the piece (another signature element from WiseTwo’s work) enhanced by gold foil treatment to give the sleeve an accentuated, royal feeling along with beautiful contrast. In a tribute to his roots, WiseTwo pays homage to his home country in a deliberate quest to make prominent the Kenyan colours on his work.
“You know, art is a wholesome experience and when I set out to do this, I had this picture in mind of a person sipping the Grande Couronne. I asked myself what experience would I want this person to have more than just enjoying the drink? I didn’t want to draw just a sleeve, I focused on everything-the feel, the texture. I wanted to spark the artistic sense in everyone who would interact with this great brand.”
The Grande Couronne takes it’s luxury cues by borrowing semiotic cues from Cognac. Gold filigree adorns the bottle while a gold capsule sits on top of the sleek, elegant bottle. The package features decorative gold filigree and foiling. A rotating box structure fully reveals the bottle, which sits in front of a French fresco artwork reminiscent of French renaissance paintings.
Reflecting on the collaboration, Glenfiddich Kenya Brand Ambassador Mulunda Kombo remarks: “Something that I love about WiseTwo’s art is that the moment you look at it, you find a point of conversation. You look at it again and a new conversation springs up. This keeps progressing on and on and that’s precisely the beauty of art and Single Malt Whisky: every sip is a whole new experience.”
WiseTwo is an avid reader and takes a keen interest in artsy reads when he is not in his element as a street artist.
“I am currently reading Mask by Chris Rainier. I love how he brings to life different cultures highlighting their perceptions about masks and how they embrace them. Reading keeps me grounded in my cause.” Besides reading, he loves travelling and meeting new people.
What’s the best advice someone has ever given him in his world of art? “The only formula to becoming a great artist is to keep painting; there is no other way!” he observed.
The Grande Couronne is the third addition to the grand series which includes the Glenfiddich Grand Cru (aged for 23 years in American and European Oak casks and then finessed in French cuvée oak casks, launched in 2020) and the Glenfiddich Gran Reserva (patiently mellowed for 21 years in bourbon casks before a final flourish in Caribbean rum casks, which launched in 2018).
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