Highly-acclaimed visual artist Laolu Senbanjo is coming home, this time in collaboration with premium vodka brand, Belvedere.
Just coming off the launch at New York Fashion Week, where Belvedere unveiled the stunning limited-edition bottle that Senbanjo designed.
The award-winning visual artist, musician, and activist will be part of a series of events in Nigeria this September.
With an artistic vision to reveal the beauty within each of his subjects, the new limited-edition bottle visually brings to life Laolu’s interpretation of the complexity, nuance and character of the Belvedere liquid.
The first Belvedere bottle with high-quality full-wrap sleeve technology features a flowing design with sharp edges that represent the water and rye working together to produce dimension and taste. Subtle skin-sense texture, which reacts to UV lights, is used to bring another sensory component to the bottle. The charcoal colouring and distinct shapes create complex, story-rich designs, which draw heavily from his Yoruba heritage.
The Brooklyn-based Nigerian-born artist has mainly used skin as his main artistic medium. His body-painting talent pushed him to global recognition even featuring in Beyoncé’s Grammy Award-winning visual album, “Lemonade.” But his Laolu mantra, “Everything is My Canvas,” applies to mural designs, fashion partnerships, live art events and installations, and now to the new limited-edition Belvedere Vodka bottle.
He’s graced the cover of the Washington Post, and has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, Vogue, BBC, CNN, and NBC. In addition to Beyoncé, he counts artists including Alicia Keys, Swiss Beatz, Seun Kuti, Tony Allen, Alek Wek, and Danielle Brooks among his collaborators.
“When Laolu paints a subject, each design is unique to what he believes depicts their inner beauty. This phenomenal message is seamlessly in line with our mission to reveal the unexpected beauty in life,” said Rodney Williams, president of Belvedere Vodka. “Also as a social advocate and former human rights attorney, Laolu’s philosophies align with our commitment to community and creating positive action in the world; in this case, the program supports the (RED) organization and the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa, a cause we’ve been supporting for 8 years.”
“As an artist I get to share my soul with people around me, my environment and the world and I’m able to channel my experiences like my journey as a human rights attorney and as a Nigerian,” said Laolu Senbanjo. “The Belvedere bottle design came from that inspiration as well as doing a lot of research about what Belvedere is at its core, like the rye and the pristine water. The bottle is an amazing blend of my art and bringing to life what Belvedere stands for – and I get to be a part of giving back to society, which means a lot to me.”
Laolu will be touring Lagos and Abuja from 24th – 29th September for a series of co-created art experiences and events to celebrate the launch of the new bottle amongst other activities.
Please follow Belvedere @belvederenigeria on Instagram for more information. #BelvedereXLaolu
BELVEDERE VODKA is produced in the one of the world’s longest continuously operating Polish distillery that has been making vodka since 1910, Belvedere was the first to generate a new standard of excellence by establishing the super-premium vodka category. Today, Belvedere’s distinctive taste and uncompromising integrity are recognised internationally by discriminating vodka enthusiasts who appreciate its dynamic and complex character.
