Bombay Sapphire and Hebru Brantley Celebrate Black Lives
Bombay Sapphire gin’s first-ever limited edition artist designed bottle in collaboration with visual artist Hebru Brantley, The Chicago-based artist’s first ever bottle collaboration features distinct Afro-Futuristic designs as an extension of his signature work. The launch of the Hebru Brantley Limited Edition bottle will benefit the Chicago chapter of Black Lives Matter.
The limited-edition design reflects Brantley’s reinterpretation of the iconic blue Bombay Sapphire bottle, paying homage to his early roots in street art and featuring bold and vibrant hues along with some of his famous characters.
As an extension of Bombay Sapphire’s Stir Creativity, the Hebru Brantley Limited Edition embodies the brand’s mission to inspire and awaken the creative potential within everyone.
Recognized as one of the preeminent Black creatives at the forefront of culture, Brantley has been internationally lauded for his public works and solo shows, featuring pieces collected by Jay Z, Lenny Kravitz, George Lucas, LeBron James and more. His most recent project, Nevermore Park, transformed his former Chicago-based studio into an immersive pop-up art exhibit that attracted thousands of visitors.
I spoke with Brantley via email about art, the collaboration and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Bar Time Stories: What were your initial thoughts about the Bombay collaboration?
Hebru Brantley: It all started with me being a part of the Artisan Series back in 2011. I had a very successful Miami Art Week experience as a result, which was a turning point in my career. Since then, the brand has been a big supporter of my various creative ventures, like sponsoring the opening night of Nevermore Park, an immersive pop-up art experience and one of my most ambitious projects to date. Meanwhile, Bombay Sapphire approached me about doing a very special project, which was designing their first ever artist-designed limited-edition bottle. I want it to inspire hope for a better future and shine a light on the courage and resilience of Black people in America. It felt only right that Bombay Sapphire and I were able to do this together to benefit Black Lives Matter Chicago, to support the critical work they do in fighting for racial justice in my hometown.
BTS: What inspired this particular work of art?
HB: My reinterpretation of the iconic Bombay Sapphire bottle is an extension of the piece I submitted for the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series back in 2011. The work I submitted for the bottle design was a piece that mirrored the aesthetic of the bottle. From their logo to their crest, Bombay exudes this sense of royalty within the design, and I wanted to incorporate a narrative that speaks to that sense of royalty. I also knew I wanted the design to inspire hope for a better future and shine light on the courage and resilience of Black people in America. There are very few examples of Black prominence in fantasy, science fiction, adventure, and hero-type stories. That’s one of the reasons I created and continue to highlight strong heroic characters in my work – including on this bottle.
BTS: What is your take on how brands are advocating for social issues like Black Lives Matter?
HB: It has always been my mission and my message to advocate for the Black community through my artwork. I create work for people who are not accustomed to seeing themselves represented in arts and entertainment. I seek to change the conversation around what it means to be a person of color in American through my art. I think it important for brands to do the same when possible and utilize their platforms to help push change as it pertains to systemic racism and police brutality affecting Black Americans. I think at the moment most brands are missing the mark.
