Balvenie Makers Project Celebrates Creativity, Craftsmanship

Rebecca Ejifoma 

Luxury, regardless of its expression, is underpinned by one key element – craftsmanship.

That is why the Balvenie, a deluxe range of whisky from the staples of William Grant and Sons distillery in Scotland is crafted by Malt Master David C. Stewart. 

Every drop to the bottle is made with artistry at its heart and as such, each expression of the Balvenie is described as unique, rich, luxuriously smooth, and underpinned by a distinctive honeyed character.

To bring this concept to life, The Balvenie collaborated with three incredibly talented artists and hosted guests to an opulent evening of fine dining, classical entertainment, live music, art exhibition, and of course a taste of Balvenie at the Vanilla Restaurant in Abuja.

One of the Balvenie makers, Babalola Oluwafemi who is a curator and major promoter of African arts, has continued to show the world that he’s an exceptional craftsman. 

With a Degree in Fine Art, specialty in Art History, the CEO of the Artmazing studios, his story is one that would motivate anybody from the grassroots. Describing his craftsmanship, Oluwafemi said he is inspired by originality.

He expressed: “I like to tap right into that originality that so many of my contemporaries have, in the quest for modernisation, abandoned. 

“A lot of my art has been inspired by stories of old, sculptures of old times, traditional arts and fashion, and most of all, the will to keep things as connected to the beginning and the center of all things, as possible.”

Now, Jacqueline Suowari is a visual artist who uses the Ballpoint pen primarily as a means of expression to become who she is today.

She’s one of the most respected female artists who have poured out her talent in painting exceptional arts that the world is reckoning with. According to her, everyone is a social creature always looking for fantasy in real life to trigger their thought process and seek inspiration from them. 

Meanwhile, Dotun Popoola is a synergetic metal sculptor who has carved a niche for himself with his monumental metal sculptures. He rose from a state of hopelessness to becoming a dealer in hops, giving himself to the service of humanity through his artistic practice and community services.

For Popoola, he takes his time to select different scraps and weld them together, each piece is a product of tenacity, perseverance, and long-suffering but the end product gives a fulfilling breath.