Meet the artist behind the Scottish Curling Championship’s stunning ice art
- Text by Huck HQ
If you happened to tune in to this year’s Scottish Curling Championship between 4 – 10 February, you’ll have been greeted with a rather wondrous sight. To promote its sponsorship of Scottish Curling’s showpiece event, Hendrick’s Gin commissioned a local artist to bring the usually unadorned playing surface to life with a burst of colour and flavour.
Inspired by the rich plant life found in the greenhouses at the Hendrick’s Gin Palace, the atmospheric coastal landscape that surrounds it, and the rich heritage of the sport of curling itself, Glasgow-based artist and illustrator Orla Stevens created a series of spectacular abstract designs in her home studio, which were frozen under the ice for the duration of the championships.
Curling stones are traditionally made of granite harvested from Ailsa Craig, a legendary volcanic outcrop that sits just off the mainland – a stone’s throw away from the Hendrick’s Gin Palace. This local connection formed a key part of the narrative that Orla weaved into her artwork, together with her own passion for nature and the outdoors.
She explains: “Nature and the outdoors are a big part of my life; they go hand in hand with my creative process. For this project, I was able to reference a lot of nature imagery from the research trip that we had, drawing from the landscape, and then also drawing from the plant life in the Hendrick’s greenhouses.”
Watch the short film below to learn more about Orla’s creative process, which is as refreshingly curious as Hendrick’s Gin & Tonic served with a slice of cucumber. You’ll also discover how she took inspiration from meeting both Lesley Gracie, Master Distiller at Hendrick’s, and Scottish Olympic Curler Scott Andrews.
Try a refreshing Hendrick’s & Tonic garnished with a slice of cucumber. To find out more visit hendricksgin.com
You might like
In photos: Black Texas life since emancipation
Kinship & Community — A new photobook and exhibition showcases the rich culture, history and community of African American folks in the Lone Star State, whose existence in the region predates colonial Britain.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Youthful joy & end-of-era poignancy at a London school prom
Leavers — For several years, Lewis Khan documented young people as they celebrated the last of their school days and the completion of their exams. The series is now collated in a new self-published photobook and short film.
Written by: Zoe Whitfield
Harry Gruyaert’s vintage, kaleidoscopic scenes of New York
A Sense of Place — For 50 years, the Belgian photographer and Magnum Photos member has been capturing NYC’s colourful chaos. A new photobook and exhibition showcase his unique, technicolour view of the city.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Inside Lower Duck Pond, the nicest town on the internet
/r/HaveWeMet — With a population of 2,500 and no fixed location, the subreddit is a space for roleplaying citizens to solve mysteries, host fictional events and ultimately connect. In an internet that’s often divided and toxic, Vicky Jessop hangs out in one of its most wholesome corners.
Written by: Vicky Jessop
A major Nan Goldin exhibition is coming to London
You Never Did Anything Wrong — Opening at the Hayward Gallery in November, the show will debut a new film from the artist and activist, alongside a slate of recent work.
Written by: Jack Dennison-Thompson
Sepia splashed memories of Britain’s ’90s squatting and free party scene
Bygones — Moving into a Hackney squat at the age of 19, Tom Hunter spent years living on London’s edges, while documenting the vibrant, creative community and culture that it enabled. Huck’s art director Sam White chats to him about the freedom that existed, the collectivism and what’s been lost over the decades since.
Written by: Samuel White
