Introducing “The Spirit of Taste” Limited Editions by Wu Jian'an for the Festive Season 2025

For the first time, Maison Martell has commissioned a single talent, Chinese contemporary artist Wu Jian’an to create the limited editions of its prestige cognacs for Chinese New Year 2025.

A single artistic vision

A bold creative decision from the House results in one strong and consistent artistic vision across the House’s prestige range – a vision Wu Jian’an has entitled “The Spirit of Taste”. For each of the Martell Noblige, Martell Cordon Bleu (Global and GTR editions), Martell XO and Martell Chanteloup XXO, the artist has reinterpreted the overall design, varying the narrative, pattern, and finish, to convey his perception of the unique personality of each cognac.

The inspiration: the human dimension of Martell savoir-faire

When visiting Maison Martell in Cognac, Wu Jian’an was fascinated by the human dimension, expressed through the many forms of savoir-faire involved in the making of cognac. Intrigued by how the taste of cognac varies according to terroir and climate, he describes the quest to produce a constant taste as “a kind of human ideal, like trying to create an immortalised experience.” Both these elements provided inspiration for his creative concept “The Spirit of Taste”.

In creating his festive limited editions for Maison Martell, Wu Jian’an used three techniques – paper-cutting, Chinese shadow art and collage – to produce vibrant and richly detailed designs that echo the House’s own visual concept of multi-layered stories. Silhouetted faces, half-hidden throughout the designs, personify all the different forms of savoir-faire that come together to create Martell’s cognac. Famous for his colourful and complex collages, Wu Jian’an revisits the traditions of Chinese folk art with a modern perspective, in particular the 1,500-year-old technique of paper-cutting, a signature style which is evident on these festive limited editions.  The packaging beautifully layers Martell emblems (the swift) and motifs associated with cognac-making (grape vines and pot stills) with symbols of the Chinese New Year.

Personifying each Martell cognac

Martell Noblige and Martell Cordon Bleu

Wu Jian’an has decorated both the bottle and the gift box for Martell Noblige and Martell Cordon Bleu. His designs incorporate silhouetted faces, inspired by Chinese shadow art to symbolise the human dimension, while distinct motifs illustrate the personality of each cognac. The daring, youthful spirit of Martell Noblige is evoked by dancing figures in a dynamic arabesque stance, while for Martell Cordon Bleu a vibrant, festive harmony reflects the smooth, generous taste of Maison Martell’s iconic cognac.

Martell XO and Martell Chanteloup XXO

Wu Jian’an has created luxurious and decorated gift boxes to enhance the two emblematic and original Martell decanters for Martell XO and Martell Chanteloup XXO. His elegant, minimalist designs combine metallic finishes (gold for Martell XO and silver for Martell Chanteloup XXO) embossed with specific varnishes to create refined textural effects. The bold and confident personality of Martell XO is evoked by a striking design featuring a personification of its iconic, arch-shaped bottle, while for Martell Chanteloup XXO, an oak-barrel motif within a precious, pared-down design alludes to the harmony attained by this exceptional cognac during its long ageing process.

About Wu Jian’an

Wu Jian’an was born in Beijing and is now a leading figure of the Chinese contemporary art scene. Distinguished by his highly creative and philosophical thought process, Wu Jian’an explores new ways to bring the radical attitude and aesthetics of contemporary art to the Chinese folk-art tradition. Imbued with mystery and symbolism, his work draws on a great variety of esoteric and mythological motifs, as well as broader global references. The human dimension remains of great importance to Wu Jian’an, who is currently engaged in a participatory art project in an Inuit village in Canada. Recognised in Forbes’ list of top 40 Chinese Contemporary Young Artists, his works feature in prominent public collections, including the National Art Museum of China, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Japan, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, USA.