Artist Hiroshi Senju and Hibiki Unveil Nature-Inspired Whisky Collaboration

Whisky has always been personal for Japanese artist Hiroshi Senju. As a young boy, he watched his economist father enjoy rare Scotch varieties, and as he grew older a respect for his heritage led him to admire Suntory Whisky. “It was a revelation—completely different from Scotch, more delicate and sophisticated,” he tells Galerie. “I immediately fell in love with it.”

So when an opportunity to collaborate with the storied distillery on two ultra-rare whiskies was presented, Senju was all in. “This partnership is a natural convergence of my life’s journey and artistic philosophy,” he says. “It connects my personal evolution from Scotch to Japanese whisky with my professional mission to capture profound concepts in art.”

The result is a monumental artwork titled Waterfall on Colours ‘Hibiki,’ featuring ten stunning shades of purple. “The artwork was drawn from a shade of purple inspired by the deep Kokimurasaki gradient that symbolizes Hibiki,” explains Senju. “In Western culture, purple may be a simple category, but in Japan and China, it has many nuanced variations, each with a specific name and meaning derived from plants. For me, purple means ‘accepting everything’—it represents imperfection, something cannot be perfected. I then applied these colors to create a piece that is both representation of human life and a tribute to the complex harmony of Hibiki.”

The piece, which was unveiled at a recent dinner in Brooklyn, graces the label and presentation box for the Hibiki 21. For the 30 Years Old edition, the work is interpreted in the box and the crystal bottle. Senju says he hopes the partnership inspires a deeper appreciation for the harmony found in imperfection and the silent moments in life. “Just as the waterfall in my art embodies the full spectrum of human experience—our desires, struggles, and surrenders—and just as Hibiki represents a balance of flavors, I hope viewers are moved to contemplate their own journey.”