It is no secret that community spirit and the joys of togetherness are at the forefront of Scotch whisky brand Ballantine’s ethos. But, their most recent collaboration with the exciting New York-based artist Shawna Xhas only worked to confirm this.

Teaming up for a limited edition release, the artist has lent her vibrant colour palette and joyous layered designs to a select number of the brand’s finest whisky bottles, meaning that each sip of the delicious beverage promises to bring with it a dose of pure happiness. But, no Ballantine’s collaboration ends with just a bottle, a fact that is most evident in their pledge to Stay Ture as well as their newest art-infused initiative.

Looking to further Shawna’s dedication to evoking positivity through her work, as well as paying tribute to the part that community spirit has played in overcoming the turbulence of the pandemic, the pair have taken to a range of cities across the globe and painted them in an array of rainbow hues courtesy of beautiful murals dreamed up by Shawna. Beginning its joyous journey in Spain, the Canary Islands has not only embraced the work of Shawna, but it also hopes to spotlight local artist Lia Ateca as the pair team up to give a vibrant new face to a dilapidated building in the heart of Las Canteras, set to remain their indefinitely. And with this art-infused tour also taking the artist to Brazil’s Rio De Janeiro and Sao Paulo where she is currently collaborating with two new local artists, Thiago Thipan, a creative that dabbles in everything from canvas paintings to live performances, and abstract-meets-graphic artist, Juline Lobao, on a total of six murals, it becomes clear that it really is shaping up to be the gift that keeps on giving.

“After the past 20 months, everyone is in need of good vibes and positivity – it’s amazing to be able to bring some joy and colour to communities with Ballantine’s, both on shelves and beyond the bottle into streets and bars,” explains Shawna X when discussing the collaboration. “Community spirit is something that has always been important to me so being able to work closely with and champion local communities around the world has been a unique experience.”

With X working hard to celebrate the joys of community spirit as well as carry forward Ballantine’s Stay True ethos that lies at the heart of its brand, this collaboration becomes one of pure joy.

To discover more, head to ballantines.com and stay tuned as Shawna will be heading to Morrocco to collaborate with local artists on her next mural..