THE BALVENIE CELEBRATES ULTIMATE CRAFTSMANSHIP WITH THE MAKERS PROJECT

 

THE BALVENIE CELEBRATES ULTIMATE CRAFTSMANSHIP WITH THE MAKERS PROJECT

The Makers Project spotlights Malaysia’s very own Fern Chua who embodies The Balvenie’s values of passion and craftsmanship through an immersive exhibition in Kuala Lumpur

 

KUALA LUMPUR, 23 November 2021 – The Balvenie officially unveils The Makers Project in Malaysia, an exclusive exhibition which will be held from 3 – 12 December 2021 at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, featuring specially commissioned artwork from homegrown designer Fern Chua. Fern joins the collective of five other ‘Makers’ who have been selected from around the region, hailing from Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. The exhibition which marks the launch of The Balvenie’s global campaign, is inspired by the craftsmen behind the Five Rare Crafts that The Balvenie maintains in its whisky-making process.

 

Every whisky has its unique history and for Speyside icon The Balvenie, it is one of dedication and passion. For close to 130 years, The Balvenie has stood tall on the world whisky stage. A lineage of fine Single Malts has seen the label win countless awards for its signature spirit, but this is not just a story about a hand-crafted single malt, it is a tale about the hands that made it. Calloused and weathered, they belong to a team with centuries of collective experience helming the Scottish whisky icon. As one of the last remaining distilleries to boast a working malting floor, one of only a handful left in Scotland, The Balvenie holds the rare title of being the world’s most hand-crafted Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

 

A true champion of the processes of making and crafting, The Balvenie’s craftsmen have been committing to their craft for decades, pouring their heart into what they do and always continuing to reach the pinnacle of their craft. Looking to inspire a new generation of makers in their fields, The Balvenie’s new partnership will seek to show the passage to ultimate craftsmanship.

 

In an exclusive media session, The Balvenie introduced Fern Chua, the Malaysian artist featured as one of The Makers. Chua, who is known for her brand, FERN Batik Collective, shared her passion for upholding the traditional art of batik printing, as well as the contemporary techniques and approaches she’s taken to elevate the industry. Media guests had first-hand experience of Chua’s creative process as she demonstrated the different techniques used in her designs. In addition to the workshop, guests were also taken through a tasting of the core range of The Balvenie whiskies. The workshop served as a preview of what to expect at The Makers Project exhibition.

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Fern Chua in Malaysia as we resonate strongly with her ideals for her brand, which is to bridge the traditional with the contemporary through her designs, as well as uplift the community and celebrate other local artisans and designers through collaborations. This is what The Makers Project is all about – celebrating those who craft with passion and produce exceptional works of art,” commented Brett Bayly, regional brand ambassador for The Balvenie Southeast Asia.

 

Founded on the shared of passion for the creative process as well as the time and focus that goes into creating something exceptional, the partnership with The Makers celebrates each of their natural talents and groundbreaking work, the result of the unwavering passion, personality and heart that goes into everything they create – a true embodiment of The Balvenie’s spirit of craftsmanship.

 

Punctuating The Makers Project exhibition will be the unveiling of Fern Chua’s The Balvenie inspired designs. Guests will also be transported on a sensorial journey that brings the Five Rare Crafts to life – from the farmers of the homegrown barley fields, the maltmen who manage the malting floors, the coppers at the cooperage, the coppersmiths and Malt Master David C. Stewart MBE, a pioneer of whisky making, who has spent close to six decades honing his craft. Visitors are then treated to a curated cinematic tasting experience where they will be able to enjoy two drams of The Balvenie whisky to conclude their journey.  

 

The audio visual tasting experience will allow guests to indulge in both The Balvenie 12 Year Old DoubleWood and The Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask in an exclusive personal setting that is both immersive and alluring. The Balvenie 12 Year Old DoubleWood has complexity to keep it interesting, but light enough to fit into almost any occasion. That warm fruit and honey nose that slips into darkly sweet and fruit palate and fades out in equal parts sweet and rustic makes it an all-around great whisky. The Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask on the other hand holds a light creaminess with each sip. Flavours of vanilla, sweet oak and fruitiness, hit the palate with some very light smokiness at the end when enjoying this expression. This is a great whisky with some amazing flavours and it has one quality that really stands out and that is its’ uniqueness.

 

To explore the world of The Balvenie at The Makers Project happening at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur from 3 to 12 December, guests can purchase tickets which are priced at RM70 and RM90. The RM70 priced ticket entitles the holder to an exclusive chocolate collection from Chocolate Concierge + The Balvenie 12 Year Old DoubleWood Miniature (5cl) and 1 Admittance to the cinematic experience with 2 complimentary drams, whilst the RM90 ticket will entitle the holder to an exclusive chocolate collection from Chocolate Concierge + The Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask Miniature (5cl) and 1 Admittance to the cinematic experience with 2 complimentary drams. Tickets can be booked through: https://bit.ly/3nMjsCp  

 

For more details, follow @TheBalvenieSEA on Instagram at http://instagram.com/thebalveniesea

Meet The Makers

A pioneer in redefining techniques, Fern Chua from Malaysia has been challenging the industry by bringing a contemporary approach to this ancient art form. Using sponges, brushes, drops and eccentric vibrant colour combinations, Fern has successfully taken the industry to a new height. Fern also believes in collective initiative and community. Her label has been supporting local artisans in the pursuit of fine craftsmanship. For certain collections, Fern has collaborated with Malaysian block printing makers to keep pushing the boundaries of batik.

Adeline Tan is an illustrator and visual artist based in Singapore. Her works are often a juxtaposition of elements pulled from personal experiences and past memories, and takes inspiration from her surroundings and popular culture – imagining alternate realities to current situations. Adeline will be painting a paper orchid installation and displaying her A3 sized artwork at the exhibition in Singapore that is inspired by Singaporean culture and nuances.

Diela Maharanie is a self-taught artist and illustrator. Her works are mostly bright and colourful with vibrant patterns of super-saturated hues but also hint a mystery for the character. She studied economics and majored in audit but really loved to draw since she was a kid.  She rose to popularity for her sticker designs for Instagram, and has made murals at Central Park Mall in Jakarta for Instagram’s positivity campaign, Kind Comments.

Phannapast Taychamaythakool is a Thai artist and illustrator who tells her personal stories through her drawings of animal characters and flowers. Her works always tell the stories of her personal life while using different personalities of animals to represent her feelings at the time. Phannapast is usually inspired by her surroundings. Her upbringing in a Thai-Chinese family has led her to always pass on the love of her culture into her work.

As a Saigon-based emerging artist without being limited to media or genre, Vu AKA Caubetho has been making works such as digital art, paintings and sculptures. Much of his work references everything from his heritage to his growing up experience, daily’s observation, political issues and pop culture icons.

Daryl Feril is an independent illustrator, designer and visual artist based in Bacolod City in The Philippines. Since 2013, he has produced a diverse portfolio with his intricate, luscious and vibrant artistic style creating illustrations for a range of consumer brands.