Dotty for: Veuve Clicquot and Yayoi Kusama

The champagne house is celebrating the release of its new vintage, Le Grande Dame 2012, with a creative and colourful collaboration with beloved artist, Yayoi Kusama

Food and Drink 5 Nov 2020

My Heart That Blooms In The Darkness Of The Night by Yayoi Kusama for Veuve Clicquot

My Heart That Blooms In The Darkness Of The Night by Yayoi Kusama for Veuve Clicquot

A joyful injection of colour, polka dots, flowers and champagne has arrived in the form of Veuve Clicquot’s collaboration with Yayoi Kusama. The Japanese artist has worked with the champagne house to create a tribute to the grande dame of champagne, Madame Clicquot, the founder of the brand and pioneer in the creation of sparkling wine. The collaboration brings these two visionary and fascinating women together to mark the launch of a new vintage from Veuve Clicquot, La Grande Dame 2012.

My Heart That Blooms In The Darkness Of The Night combines Kusama's bold colours and signature polka dots with Veuve Clicquot's new vintage
My Heart That Blooms In The Darkness Of The Night combines Kusama’s bold colours and signature polka dots with Veuve Clicquot’s new vintage

Kusama has created a new artwork, My Heart That Blooms In The Darkness Of The Night, to celebrate the new champagne release. The sculpture is limited to 100 numbered editions and comprises colourful psychedelic flowers and vines adorned with the artist’s signature polka dots twisting happily around a bottle of La Grand Dame 2012.

Her signature flowers and polka dots also cover the champagne’s case in patterns that symbolize vibrancy, creativity and energy, while the bottle itself is adorned with Kusama polka dots that evoke delicate and vigorous champagne bubbles. The name of the work and overall aesthetic is intended to offer a message of hope and optimism after what has been a difficult year for so many people. As Madame Clicquot said in 1828, ‘Our wine must be both flattering on the eyes and on the palate’, and in this collaboration the champagne house has definitely obeyed the grand dame’s words.

This is the second time Kusama has worked with Veuve Clicquot on bringing her art to the storied champagne house
This is the second time Kusama has worked with Veuve Clicquot on bringing her art to the storied champagne house

Kusama has worked with Veuve Clicquot before, when she updated a portrait of Madame Clicquot with her iconic polka dots. This new work shows a compelling ongoing dialogue between the champagne house and the artist, both of whom are celebrated worldwide for their bold aesthetic and love of creativity.

The champagne is as carefully crafted as Kusama’s sculpture. Pinot noir is the star grape of the new vintage. Veuve Clicquot has always centred the delicate excellence of its black grapes at the heart of its champagne. La Grande Dame 2012 uses 90 per cent pinot noir and 10 per cent chardonnay, with the resulting champagne having extraordinary depth and complexity. As Didier Mariotti, Veuve Clicquot cellar master, says, ‘My work is about this difficult-to-find, harmonious blend of excellent wines which enhances the strength, the depth, and the delicacy of pinot noir.’

Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2012 is £160 a bottle from Selfridges, veuveclicquot.com