Hennessy Commissions Famed Artist JonOne To Design 2017 Very Special Limited Edition Bottle

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Hennessy sensed a kindred spirit in JonOne. Constantly on the move between his home base in Paris, his native Harlem and cutting-edge art scenes all over the world, the street artist-turned-art-world phenomenon has always remained true to himself, pushing boundaries and defying definition. For JonOne, art is a vector for pure emotion: what drives him is being "in the flow" and "sharing dreams."

JonOne had never visited the town of Cognac before. On his first visit to Hennessy's historic seat, in 2016, the artist immediately connected with the place for its energetic atmosphere and passion for creation.  While there, JonOne was introduced to the complex layers of Cognac. "When you speak to people at Hennessy who love what they do, it resonates," JonOne explains, "I can relate to that emotion: They create beauty with their own hands; they know the joy of creation. For them and for me, it's not just a job, it's part of your life."

This shared passion can be seen in the design process itself, which mirrors the elaborate process of crafting Cognac.  With an energy that has come to define his style, JonOne built layer upon layer of freestyle splashes of color, intermixed with Hennessy's own imagery, echoing the complex layers of flavors and aromas created during the Cognac blending process.  The result is a final work that captures the spirit of the artist and gives a nod to the transmission and legacy of Hennessy. 

"The freedom of the street is what made me want to pursue art in the first place," notes JonOne. "The subway is like a museum that runs through the city. Then, as now, my question is, 'How do I make my art live?' I want people to look at it and say, 'What is this?'. Hopefully, they'll be inspired. I want to see where it takes them — and where it might lead me next."

The design appears on a limited run of flagship 750mL Hennessy Very Special bottles (priced approximately at $35).  A special deluxe gift edition is also available, featuring a 1.75L bottle decorated with JonOne's iconic tag and Hennessy iconography.  It is encased in a whimsically over-sized paint can, inspired by the artist's studio and creative inspiration, and available for a suggested retail price of $200.

The Hennessy Very Special Limited Edition bottles by JonOne will be available for purchase starting June 26 on ReserveBar.com and at fine retailers nationwide beginning in July. For more information, visit Hennessy.com or follow Hennessy on Facebook (Facebook.com/Hennessy), Twitter and Instagram (@HennessyUS, #ArtoftheChase).

About Hennessy
In 2017, the Maison Hennessy celebrates over two and half centuries of an exceptional adventure that has linked two families, the Hennessys and the Fillioux, for seven generations and spanned five continents. It began in the French region of Cognac, the seat from which the Maison has constantly passed down the best the land has to give, from one generation to the next. In particular, such longevity is thanks to those people, past and present, who have ensured Hennessy's success both locally and around the world. Hennessy's success and longevity are also the result of the values the Maison has upheld since its creation: unique savoir-faire, a constant quest for innovation, and an unwavering commitment to Creation, Excellence, Legacy, and Sustainable Development. Today, these qualities are the hallmark of a House – a crown jewel in the LVMH Group – that crafts iconic and prestigious Cognacs.

Hennessy is imported and distributed in the U.S. by Moët Hennessy USA. Hennessy distills, ages and blends spanning a full range: Hennessy V.S, Hennessy Black, V.S.O.P Privilège, X.O, Paradis, Paradis Impérial and Richard Hennessy. For more information and where to purchase/ engrave, please visit Hennessy.com

About JonOne
Born John Andrew Perello in New York's Harlem neighborhood in 1963, JonOne today is an icon among urban street artists. Entirely self-taught, he became a graffiti artist at age 17 when he fell in with a group of other street artists and began tagging his work "Jon156".  In 1984, he founded the graffiti collective 156 All Starz as a way to move past the urban blight around him. In 1987, with money saved doing odd jobs – including being a men's room attendant at the Palladium – he took up a fellow artist on an invitation and bought a one-way ticket to Paris, where he immediately emerged at the forefront of the street art movement. In his 30-year artistic career in France, Jon One has been featured in dozens of shows and has expanded his range to decorative projects from rugs and speakers to a Boeing 777. Over the years, several JonOne works have set records at auction for graffiti art sold in France. In 2016 alone, JonOne counted six solo exhibitions in France, one in Israel and one in the United States.

SOURCE Moët Hennessy USA