Faith XLVII: Blending The Elements With Hennessy [Pulse Interview]

For the 10th annual Hennessy Very Special Limited Edition, the Maison Hennessy is proud to announce its collaboration with street-turned-studio artist Faith XLVII.

A journey through the Instagram account ‘Faith47’ shows an appreciation for all sides of humanity; the values that bind us, the emotions that define us, the identities that we choose and the questions that we ask.

Faith XLVII and Hennessy collaborate. [FaithXLVII]

At the root of Faith XLVII’s artistic journey from graffiti artist and muralist to studio artist, is a desire to foster healing and awareness about the interconnected nature of the universe.

A South African artist, photographer and muralist, Faith XLVII [read as Faith 47] makes art to show humanity what it is missing by using nature as a canvas that humanity can learn to appreciate. In her heart is a purpose, in her head is direction and, in her hands, lie the execution.

In a decade of artistic collaborations within the Hennessy Very Special series, Hennessy has partnered with some of the art world’s leading visionaries. In 2020, original artwork by Faith XLVII marks the 10th annual collaboration on a Hennessy Very Special Limited Edition series.

As such, the artist is being welcomed into an interconnected global community that includes Felipe Pantone, Vhils, Shepard Fairey, and Futura.

Building on the Maison’s commitment to forging ties with pioneers of urban culture, Faith XLVII has created a work of art that not only ushers in a new creative chapter in her own career, but also an evolution in Hennessy’s horizon.

Now resident in Los Angeles, Faith XLVII [read as Faith 47] describes herself as a citizen of the earth. In person, she is calm, thoughtful, attentive, and charming. Like her art, she only provides answers that nudges one in the right direction - she never forces her ideals on you. She merely shows you what is important and lets you understand why it’s important.

“I think in the early days, my work was a bit more direct. But as I’ve evolved, I’ve kind of grown toward speaking through parables, metaphors, symbolisms and so forth. Instead of telling someone how to think, I like opening a conversation. I think we’re all trying to make sense of things, I just want to be part of that dynamic,” she says.

Faith XLVII and Hennessy collaborate. [FaithXLVII]

While Faith XLVII has always captured life through street art, her current means of expression holds the core of her evolution.

How does her South African roots play into her current life?

Faith XLVII says it gave her a lot of questions to which she had to find answers. She reminisces, “I had a lot of inspiration to draw from. The racial, social, political and life dynamics there offer a lot. I think it just made me express and deal with my inner world in relation to my outer world. I think it helped me find my art.”

Faith XLVII is very particular about how the inner self relates to occurrences in the outer world and humanity. She believes that the dynamic posited by our collective inner consciousness informs the occurrences in the world. She also believes that change can only come when the inner consciousness has been redefined.

Thus, as much as the outer consciousness is what we see, her art aims to foster change from the inner consciousness by focusing on the things that truly matter. So, it is about affecting one human being at a time.

Transitioning from street art to multidisciplinary art

When Faith XLVII was younger, Hip-Hop deeply informed her art and her decision to pursue street art. In South Africa, Hip-Hop crossed cultural and racial divides. It helped Faith to get a different perspective across different demographics. This helped the basis of her relationship with the environment through the spaces and communities where she was.

She says, “That time gave me a freedom to explore and find my voice. It also taught me not to box myself, you know. It also taught me how to learn when I didn’t know things.”

What does it mean to be a ‘citizen of the earth’?

The idea is birthed from the ‘overview effect’ of how astronauts see earth as one living breathing force. Since 2006, Faith XLVII has been traveling for her work. In 2017, she told CNN that visiting different cultures helps her understand humanity and the environment more.

The woman who grew up in multiethnic South Africa, the woman who found Hip-Hop and continues to travel the world has seen different forms of life. All these have led to her own version of the ‘overview effect.’

“I have been traveling since 2006 - Switzerland, India, Miami… It’s so fun to see different forms of life. Some of my work touched on immigration and borders because I looked at animals and how they can migrate. I believe that humans should have the ability to access the earth and for the earth to be fruitful.

I’ve always felt a little displaced on the earth. Concepts like nationalism and patriotism don’t matter to me. I find that a little problematic, you know [laughs with arms in gesticulation], but I do have respect for culture and space. I think it’s good to see humanity as one entity,” she says.

But in all these, Faith XLVII sees herself as a passionate creative, not a politician. Thus, as much as she desires change, she understands that her role is only one part of a larger conversation.

Faith XLVII and Hennessy collaborate. [FaithXLVII]

Why collaborate with Hennessy?

Currently, Faith XLVII is collaborating with the world’s largest Cognac brand, Hennessy. She has been familiar with the Limited-edition bottle series for a while, and admires all the artists Hennessy has collaborated with.

She says, “It’s a natural fit for me because I like how Hennessy respects the creative process of artists and values freedom. This is in line with the work I’m creating. When I looked at the process of how the cognac is made, I was really inspired by how they kept to an age-old traditional process and that is reliant on seasonal changes and the environment.

“Their barrels are still hand-made! When I got back to the studio, I was ruminating between how Hennessy is made and the alchemical process of creating gold from base metals. It’s a very philosophical metaphor that helped me find the similarities to my art.

“I also looked at old esoteric manuscripts and I came up with the idea that shaped the image for the artwork with the sun at the center. I also took a cue from the color of the Hennessy [gold] to reference that alchemy.”

At the end of the day, Faith XLVII thinks that Africa has a lot to teach the world. She feels that African art is filled with wealth on all sides.

As this chat came to an end, Faith XLVII says that she hopes to savor Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage very soon. We both joke about her need to catch up on Nigerian Hip-Hop. When she visits Nigeria, chances are that she will be intent on catching up on Nigerian culture. Until then…

The 10th Hennessy VS limited edition carafe, designed by Faith XLVII is available for purchase in all leading stores nationwide.

Faith XLVII and Hennessy collaborate. [FaithXLVII]

ABOUT HENNESSY VERY SPECIAL

Hennessy Very Special has a unique style that makes it a reference in the art of blending. Hennessy Very Special by Faith XLVII brings together warm-hearted and full-bodied flavors.

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