Moving from her native Nanjing, Nini Sum was one of thousands of struggling young artists in China, trying to find her place in the country’s growing art scene. Needing to pay the bills, she moved to Shanghai to study graphic design, working for a web design company by day and honing her craft by night. Together with the German artist Gregor Koerting, she founded China’s first independent screen printing studio IdleBeats in Shanghai in 2012, which became particularly popular in Shanghai’s young music and cultural scene.
Sum’s art continues to push the boundaries and this time her experimentation goes beyond larger-than-life murals and public art unto a much smaller canvas: a bottle of The Macallan A Night on Earth series, A Night on Earth. Encased in an innovative, multi-layered pack, created in collaboration with the acclaimed Chinese mixed-media artist, the second release in The Macallan A Night on Earth series, finds itself beautifully decorated in layers to represent the different stages of the journey to reunite with loved ones at Lunar New Year.
The Macallan x Nini Sum: Can you immortalise Reunion in a painting?
“The collaboration with Nini Sum focuses on the idea of bringing something special back to your family when you return home: the coming together of old friends and family, with reflection on the past year, and hope for the coming one.”
Providing an exceptional unboxing experience, each layer of the pack is imbued with meaning. Rendered in gradient tones: the technique of gradually transitioning from one hue to another, or from one shade to another, or one texture to another, analogous to reunification with loved ones and family of different strokes but of one tribe.
The first layer depicts an expansive landscape: on the left, the night sky is strewn with stars and fireworks, progressing into a daylight scene of mountains wreathed with clouds on the right. The second layer featuring a blue colour palette with contemporary urban scenery creates contrast and surprise. Bright strikes of colour signify the mass movement of locals out of the city as they travel home to their loved ones. The third layer, with its yellow and orange tones, symbolises the warmth of lantern light and the feeling of coming home.
“During this time of the year, people who work in big cities go through the world’s largest annual human migration to go back to their hometowns for that moment of reunion with their families and friends. When the fire is lit inside and paper lanterns hang from the roof, you know there is someone there waiting for you to come home so they can welcome you with a hot meal and a hug.”
This limited-edition whisky was created using a perfectly balanced combination of The Macallan’s exceptional sherry seasoned European and American oak casks together with American ex-bourbon barrels. The flavour profile evokes some of Sum’s sweetest Lunar New Year memories – from the effervescent burst of fireworks to the milk candy in her pocket and the sweet smell of steamed rice pudding. The aroma is reminiscent of toasted oak emanating from the carts of the rice popcorn vendors on the brightly decorated streets of Shanghai. There is a nuttiness to the whisky, which echoes the sunflower seeds Nini’s family shared as they laughed and talked about their wishes for the new year.
Bottled at 43% ABV, A Night on Earth – The Journey showcases the skill of the Whisky Mastery Team, and The Macallan’s dedication to incomparable craftsmanship and uncompromised excellence.
A Night on Earth – The Journey has an RRSP of SGD175, and is available to purchase globally.
