Davidoff has unveiled its first original artworks in
celebration of its role as associate partner of Art Basel. The Davidoff Art Initiative’s first Davidoff Limited Art
Edition cigar boxes feature original commissioned artwork by the Caribbean artist Quisqueya Henríquez.
Two limited-edition cigar
boxes, each one manufactured in a quantity of 3,000 and stocked with
custom-made cigars developed exclusively for the collection, were
presented at Davidoff’s VIP hospitality lounge at the Art Basel show in Hong
Kong, which was held in May.
Henríquez was also invited to create a limited run of 50
Collectors Editions, which include the special-edition box of cigars as well as
an original artist’s print from the series of images developed for the project.
Each artwork is unique and can be selected by the customer at the time of
purchase.
 |
| Davidoff's Limited Art Edition cigar boxes |
The compositions created by Henríquez for the Davidoff
Limited Art Edition and the Collectors Editions seek to evoke the intricate
artisanal skill of cigar-making and evoke the multiple phases involved in cigar
manufacturing. The richly coloured images obtained from the layering of
multiple photographs of tobacco leaves, create a composition that, while
abstract, hints at the source materials involved in its creation.
“I have always had in mind to work with images that
illustrate time and the many different steps involved in the tradition of
cigar-making,” said Henríquez, who was born in Cuba and now lives in the
Dominican Republic. The finely layered images, inspired by the artist’s
multiple visits to tobacco fields in the Dominican Republic, capture the
time-consuming process of cigar-making and reference the artist’s native
Caribbean culture.
 |
| Artist Quisqueya Henriquez working on the images |
One of the most persistent images throughout her prints is
the image of the tobacco leaf, especially its natural complexity. Henríquez
also used the Rorschach technique to create a visual field of depth and
establish an interactive relationship with the cigar and her pattern designs.
Each work in the edition is composed of three or more superimposed photographic
impressions of tobacco leaves. Each layer has a slightly different hue, and
each allows for some transparency. Although colour manipulation is quite
prevalent in some works, the natural colour and texture of the tobacco leaf can
still be seen in the abstract compositions.
The final pattern is based on the use of metallic colours
inspired by the cigar’s relationship with luxury and beauty. Each design
includes its corresponding cigar band and glassine.
Oettinger Davidoff CEO Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard said: “When
we approached Ms Henríquez to do a work for our inaugural edition, we did not
ask her to take up the subject of tobacco or cigars directly. So it was all the
more gratifying that she asked to visit our tobacco fields in Santiago and
spend time there observing our crops and the work methods of our cigar rollers.
The works that have resulted from her experiments with photography and the
manipulation of tobacco leaves are breathtakingly beautiful, and they also say
something profound about the history and culture of the Caribbean.”
