How the ‘free, intelligent and full spirit’ of the Year of the Rat inspired Chinese artist Zhang Huan’s bold Lunar New Year piece for Hennessy

Jan 26 , 2020

Chinese contemporary artist Zhang Huan presents his Eaux-de-vie work, at Hennessy's headquarters in Cognac, France. Photo: Handout

Western brands are increasingly tapping hip Chinese artists for millennial kudos – and one French cognac maker’s Chinese New Year commission has reaped a bold, six-metre canvas from a modern master

There is a growing trend in recent years of big brands collaborating with contemporary artists, especially in China, as a way to drive young millennials to global luxury labels. Think multimedia artist Cao Fei designing an Art Car for BMW in 2017, and then again, her 2019 work with Prada on Code Human, a multidisciplinary study of the nature of influence in the age of the digital culture.

Artist Zhang Huan with Hennessy master blender Renaud Fillioux de Gironde. Photo: Handout

Last year Hennessy courted contemporary Chinese artist Zhang Huan for the cognac distillery’s 2020 Lunar New Year campaign, which marks the Year of the Rat and is also the start of the new cycle of the lunar calendar. The Maison Hennessy commissioned a monumental work of art, in addition to designing a special Lunar New Year edition of the Hennessy collection from the artist.

The rat is the first, the smallest and also the most alert, intelligent animal in the Chinese zodiac – it is free, intelligent and full of spirit

Zhang Huan, artist

When the Maison Hennessy unveiled the finished work in the presence of Zhang, at its distillery headquarters in Cognac, France, last October, Chinese and international media flocked in attendance. Zhang, dressed in his signature white, unveiled the six-metre-long masterpiece entitled Eaux-de-vie, inspired by Hennessy’s world-famous library of eaux-de-vie – which refers to the clear, colourless fruit brandy that is produced by fermentation and double distillation.

The work looked like a dreamscape of bubbles or cells done in vibrant hues that seemed to be floating. It featured mainly red hues which is the Chinese lucky colour, exuding happiness and joy.

Eaux-de-vie by Zhang Huan – a close up of the cells seamlessly floating. Photo: Handout

“Hennessy’s eaux-de-vie were the direct inspiration for my artwork,” said the 55-year old artist, who is based between Shanghai and New York. “I saw each eaux-de-vie like an individual cell, and they come together to create something unique. If you look closely, inside of them you can see red Chinese lanterns, grapes and amber wine. The synergy between Hennessy and China is rooted in an understanding of the harmony as well as the festive atmosphere we celebrate during the New Year.”

Zhang spent several months in Cognac observing the lifestyle of the people involved in making brandy as well as the process itself.

Artist Zhang Huan’s limited edition Lunar New Year bottle designs for Hennessy. Photo: Tracey Furniss

“Cognac is a beautiful place with an aristocratic spirit,” he said. “Watching the cognac-making process first-hand touched me deeply, and the eaux-de-vie inspired me a lot.”