It is finally here! I am incredibly happy to announce and celebrate my collaboration with the incredible Glenfiddich. In our collaboration, I have created a collection of exclusive NFT artworks and content inspired by the exotic sensory experience of Glenfiddich’s Gran Reserva. It has been nothing but an absolute pleasure working with the Glenfiddich team, who were amazingly supportive and helpful throughout this whole experience.
The theme of this art collaboration, A Collision of Two Worlds, is one of the major inspirations behind the NFT artwork that I had created exclusively for Glenfiddich. With this particular artwork, I wanted to create a visual collision of my cultural and creative universe with that of Glenfiddich’s.
Drawing from the Phoenician roots of my Lebanese heritage, this artwork is a reimagining of Astarte, the revered deity of ancient Mesopotamia, as a modern woman who is unapologetically herself and unafraid to express her desires.
For those who don’t know, Astarte is a popular Phoenician goddess who was worshipped for her incredible power of attraction and maverick determination. Her dichotomous divinity led her to not only become the goddess of love but also the goddess of war. She was unstoppable, who loved with immense passion and could conquer any impediment to get what she wanted.
As a feminist, I wanted this artwork to collide with the masculine perception of whisky and show that femininity is equally strong, bold and maverick. The antlers, a trademark of Glenfiddich, are featured in the artwork with vibrant colourful patterns adding to the compelling aura of Astarte, making her seem unattainable and invincible. Intertwined in her hair and antlers are blooming vanilla flowers, ripened figs and fresh slices of lime, all paying homage to the rich, sweet and exotic experience of the Grand Reserva.
The idea of this NFT collaboration as a “collision of two worlds” really resonated with me. Since my whole artistic career, I have tried to bridge multiple gaps that exist between the art industry, the NFT market and myself. With the world of technology and art colliding together, I used to find myself constantly defending digital art as “real art” since people could not understand how something drawn on a computer can have the same artistic merit as a traditional painting.
With NFTs erupting on the scene, digital art has found legitimacy, but I find myself at the forefront of another collision: the collision of the world of a female digital artist with the male dominated world of NFTs. I like to think that these collisions pave the way for the future, the collision of two different worlds can be the birth of a better tomorrow.
One of the things that I loved about Glenfiddich was their reverence and celebration of individuals who embrace their Maverick spirit and are not afraid to express themselves and shatter stereotypes. I really connected with this because for me, being a Maverick means not to be afraid of being who you are and expressing exactly what you think and feel. Women were constantly told by society and culture to be docile and complacent; it was because of the strength and courage of women who dared to be mavericks that we are able to succeed and be empowered as women today. I like to create art that celebrates and honours this Maverick spirit which is depicted in various female forms in my work. This Maverick spirit of mine also shows up in the way that I run my art business, as I am not afraid of taking risks and being true to myself.
This NFT collab has been a career milestone and an ideal creative partnership, as I was given free reign to create the kind of work that satisfied my artistic needs and best represented my Maverick spirit. Besides the NFT artwork, there is more to be revealed yet. Perhaps, a Whiskey NFT? So, keep your eyes on my social media as I will be unveiling more exclusive content that I had been working on with Glenfiddich and trust me…you do not want to miss out on that!
Shop my artwork collection here.
Check my digital artwork collection here.