Gomes wins Abelha cachaça label competition

Brazilian designer and illustrator, Daniel Vincent Gomes, has won Abelha Organic Cachaça’s international competition to design a limited edition label for its silver cachaça.  Daniel’s design will go onto an initial run of 600 bottles, which will be available from August.

Speaking about the competition, Daniel who is 26 and lives in Sao Paulo says: “I thought the Abelha competition was the perfect project for me.  I’m a huge fan of cachaça and I love the Bahia state where Abelha is created.  The climate, lifestyle, it’s vibrancy and colours are like nothing else you’ve experienced before.  It’s like a state of mind.”

Inspired by the area where Abelha is made, Daniel also took inspiration musically.  He said: “I define my work as musical and I seem to connect melodies to my creations.  This time, I sat at my desk and listened to Dorival Caymmi, one of Bahia and Brazil’s most inspired composers and musicians and began to draw.  As soon as the music flowed – so did my inspiration.”

The winning artwork was chosen by a panel of judges which included Brazilian urban artist Ananda Nahu, commissioned to design the 2015 limited edition summer label; Lívia Rezende, professor of history of design at the Royal College of Art; Jonathan Chadwick, illustrator, designer and the artist responsible for creating Abelha’s label.

Joao Pinteiro, director of Abelha Organic Cachaça, adds: “Daniel’s wonderfully playful label encapsulated the Bahian spirit of Abelha and although standards were high it was a clear winner across our panel.”  

1 June 2016 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor