Bombay Sapphire Partners With Artists To Transform London’s Iconic Bars

Visual artists Tishk Barzanji and Shaquille-Aaron Keith are set to take over renowned London bars Sketch and Silverleaf this summer with their creative visions, as part of the next stage in the Bombay Sapphire ‘Saw This, Made This’ installation series. The immersive installations are designed to inspire people to discover the creativity and beauty that exists all around them.

Each installation will channel the artists’ trademark style while taking inspiration from the unique visual identities of both venues, in a true creative exchange. Guests will be invited to immerse themselves in the artwork of two of London’s most creative minds while enjoying bespoke ‘Saw This, Made This’ cocktails created by Sketch and Silverleaf, inspired by the installations themselves.

The ‘Saw This, Made This’ installation series launched at the Design Museum in London earlier this year, following a call out from campaign Creative Director and award-winning film director Baz Luhrmann for people to see the world as a gallery of creative inspiration. Thousands of people shared on social media what they ‘saw’ and consequently ‘made’ via #SawThisMadeThis, and the creative perspectives submitted were celebrated at installations at the Design Museum in London and Chelsea Factory in New York.

Now, artists Tishk and Shaquille-Aaron have partnered with Bombay Sapphire to continue to encourage people to see the world as a gallery of creative inspiration, by designing the two immersive in-bar installations that will be open this summer for everyone to experience.

Tishk, a visual artist with a focus on modernism and surrealism, has taken inspiration from world famous bar, Sketch. The iconic London bar has for years been hailed for its imaginative interiors designed in collaboration with leading artists and designers. Upon stepping through the doors of Sketch, guests will be transported into Tishk’s surrealist wonderland. His installation is inspired by striking design-rich spaces consisting of juxtaposing rooms and boasts warming sunsets, bold colours, and archetypal Tishk-style mannequins.

In contrast, Shaquille-Aaron – a name familiar to those on London’s creative scene – is an artist and storyteller of a different nature. Silverleaf’s interiors, inspired by naturalism and the elements, have influenced Shaquille-Aaron to focus on human emotion. Shaquille-Aaron’s artwork reflects a familiar narrative around the delicateness of meeting someone for the first time in an intimate setting to enjoy a cocktail.

Artist Tishk Barzanji comments, ‘Being able to work with creative forces such as Bombay Sapphire and Sketch is hugely exciting. Thanks to Sketch’s cinematic setting and surreal feel, it’s a natural fit for my work. In the same way people step into Sketch and feel immersed in another world, with each room transporting them to a different place and time, my work aims to connect viewers to myriad landscapes and settings. When people visit my ‘Saw This, Made This’ installation at Sketch, they’ll feel fully immersed in one of my artworks – this is a first for me and it’s been brilliant to see come to life.’

Artist Shaquille-Aaron Keith comments, ‘I’ve loved being able to introduce a new dimension to my creative work by inviting people to enjoy a cocktail ‘in’ one of my paintings, as part of Bombay Sapphire’s ‘Saw This, Made This’ installation series. I’ve always been passionate about the art of storytelling, so to be able to explore Silverleaf and create a new artwork inspired by the bar has been an incredible opportunity.’

Bombay Sapphire gin is the ideal canvas for creative cocktails thanks to its balanced flavour profile and versatility, and for decades the brand has championed creativity both inside the cocktail glass and beyond.

The Bombay Sapphire Saw This, Made This installations are free to visit, but please book a table in advance to avoid disappointment.

About BOMBAY SAPPHIRE®

Based on a 1761 recipe, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin is created by perfectly balancing a unique combination of 10 hand-selected exotic botanicals from around the world. The design of the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE distillery at Laverstoke Mill has won a BREEAM award for sustainability and is the home of the unique Vapour Infusion process, where the natural flavours of the botanicals are skilfully captured, resulting in the fresh and vibrant taste with which BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is synonymous.

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is on a mission to be the world’s most sustainable international gin, with all 10 botanicals certified sustainably sourced. The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.

About BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® AND CREATIVITY

With its ‘Stir Creativity’ campaign, launched in 2018, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is leading a global mission – a call to arms for everyone to engage with their creativity and unlock their creative potential.  From advocacy programmes including the World’s Most Imaginative Bartender competition, which has run in the US for over a decade, to hosting The Glasshouse Project, which brings together the world’s top bartenders in a series of creative workshops designed to push the boundaries of cocktail creativity. For eight years, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE ran The Artisan Series, an art competition created by the brand to provide emerging artists with an international platform.

Source: BOMBAY SAPPHIRE