Cover Chinese artist Yang Yongliang
Chinese artist Yang Yongliang
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Yang Yongliang combines ancient art and digital technology to design mythical dragons that come alive in the Hennessy Paradis, XO and VSOP limited-edition bottles
Contemporary Chinese artist Yang Yongliang has been making waves in the art scene with his striking digital landscapes that blend traditional oriental aesthetics with modern digital techniques. If you have seen his designs, you would have probably noticed some key features in his artworks like the dragon.
“They’re so symbolic and legendary,” enthused Yang, who recalled growing up in a water town in Greater Shanghai, China during the 80s. In his hometown, he remembered dragon motifs incorporated into the architectural details, stone bridges and ornaments. He would often hear stories about dragons as a child, too, but his most memorable encounter was through an old coin from the Qing dynasty. “My grandmother found it buried in the soil and gave it to me when I was young. I recall cleaning off the dirt to reveal a dragon etched onto its metallic surface,” he shared, furthering his fascination with this mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac until today.
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Above Hennessy's limited-edition Chinese New Year collection
Hennessy's limited-edition Chinese New Year collection
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In 2019, Yang created a video series showing dragons as water gods, which made its debut at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Fast forward to the present, and his dragon motifs which take cues from the paintings of ancient master Chen Rong adorn Hennessy’s limited-edition Paradis, XO and VSOP bottles to usher in the Year of the Dragon. The designs are inspired by Yang’s digital art piece, Dragon’s Odyssey, where “metallic dragons chase each other through the liquor”.
With only 485 bottles available globally (12 of which are in Singapore), the Hennessy Paradis is encased in a white porcelain bottle decorated with hand-painted golden dragons. The limited-edition XO, meanwhile, comes in a striking golden bottle to symbolise prosperity, and its bottle and bottle seal depicts a dragon’s odyssey, while the VSOP is clad in bright red hues.
These limited-edition bottles are displayed at two major pop-ups in Singapore during Chinese New Year—one at Ion Orchard (until January 8) and the other at Changi Terminal 1 (until February 16), where guests are able to dive deeper into Yang’s designs through videos, interactive touch points and tasting sessions.
Credits
Images: Hennessy
