Maison Hennessy ushers in the Year of the Tiger with a dreamlike work of art by renowned artist Zhang Enli.
THE role of a work of art is to convey its message to the spectator. There is a vast disparity in the reaction of different individuals to works of art.
A certain artwork may invoke in an onlooker the feeling of great admiration, amazement, relaxation, creativity, inspiration or even emotional affinity.
Art provides a range of forms, symbols and ideas with meanings that can be determined by the artist. It is also indisputable that creative artwork is exceptionally strenuous and has a great need for restitution.
In a unique way to show its support for art, Maison Hennessy ushers in the new year with a dreamlike work of art – tiger-themed painting – by renowned China-born artist Zhang Enli.
Celebrating 2022 in collaboration with an acclaimed contemporary artist is for Hennessy a way of honouring a spirit, a vision, and a commitment to art.
Zhang, who graduated from the Arts and Design lnstitute of Wuxi Technical University in Jiangsu, is a professional artist living and working in Shanghai.
The 57-year-old has his paintings depicting the familiar and overlooked, everyday objects connected through the artist's immediate surroundings, often from unusual viewpoints or focusing on seemingly insignificant details.
“While this painting may be different from traditional tiger-themed paintings, my hope is that people will intuitively recall the animal’s beauty and vitality,” said Zhang.
Zhang's paintings depict the familiar and overlooked, everyday objects connected through the artist's immediate surroundings, often from unusual viewpoints or focusing on seemingly insignificant details.
For Hennessy, Zhang draws strength from nature, offering a universal portrait of energy and optimism entitled Poetry and Wine Welcome the Tiger.
Poetry and Wine Welcome the Tiger is about spirit and sense over appearances; about the force of transformation, even in the tiniest details, Zhang shares.
In 2022, Zhang builds on this tradition with an original artwork that expresses the regal nature of Hennessy blends through classical Chinese brush painting techniques combined with a bold, modern and creative vision.
Coming after a time of challenge and loss, the Tiger represents hope and augurs renewed energy and vitality.
Favouring abstraction over figurative representation, the artist conjures the majestic animal – an ancestral symbol of power, success, and confidence – with dynamic lines and vibrant colour.
To signify the Year of the Tiger, Zhang also chose to pay tribute to the peaceful beauty of the Charente River in Cognac, using it as a metaphor for transformation and the passage of time.
Just as every drop of water in the river is unique, Hennessy’s unique eaux-de-vie are assembled by the master blender, generation after generation, into unforgettable cognac.
Following a visit to Hennessy’s historic seat in Cognac, Zhang transposed his impressions into a fluid, dream-like composition in which sprays of water droplets surge up and reconverge into a tiger prowling in the night.
A yellow and gold palette channels empowerment and refinement, with crystalline amber tones recalling the depth of Hennessy’s blends.
Touches of red call to mind auspicious beginnings, while on the tiger’s forehead appears a pictograph reminiscent of the Chinese character “wang”, symbolising “emperor” or “sovereign.”
More information on Hennessy can be found at Hennessy’s InnerClub page.
