FAITH XLVII and Hennessy: A Story of Creative Alchemy 

For the South African-born, Los Angeles-based artist FAITH XLVII, the worlds of art and cognac-making share an almost mystical relationship to Time. For the 10th anniversary of the Hennessy Very Special Limited Edition cognac, she chose to transpose that relationship into a mandala-like concept evocatively titled “Blending the Elements.” “Everything constantly moves in a cyclical way. The cycles of the Sun and Moon are absolutely vital, for me and for Hennessy as well,” she notes. “Though we may think we can supersede it, we are all dependent on nature.”

During a visit to the Hennessy seat in Cognac, the artist immediately sensed parallels between cognac-making and her own artistic process, which “takes time and is considerate of raw materials and mediums,” she explains. “There’s an alchemy to the way we work: we both take basic substances and turn them into something remarkable.” Centering on the themes of Time and the Sun, with layers depicting moons, clouds, rain and grapevines, “Blending the Elements” lends Hennessy’s universe a mystical air. An intuitive by nature, FAITH XLVII also looked to ancient manuscripts and antique renditions of Suns, the wind and calenda. “Distilling and assembling eaux-de-vie is like my art: it’s about taking basic elements and transforming them into something extraordinary,” the artist observes.

“Revering Time and nature is the basis of Hennessy’s savoir-faire,” she notes. “The process of creation is long, and each small action, each individual element, stays invisible up until the final reveal — whether it’s a painting or Hennessy cognac.”