Meet the Artist
Meet The Artist
VICTORIA TOPPING
destined for collaboration
‘VineArt’ was a concept hatched in early 2019, at which point I was looking for an artist to depict the Roman goddess Minerva (see previous newsletter all about VineArt here) on a wine label for our first vintage. I wanted to create the very first of a new kind of artwork - a unique partnership of viticulture, the ethics of the Minerva brand and a modern artistic re-imagination of mythology.
So as I was looking for contemporary artwork of fabled characters, what were the chances of seeing an article in Bath Life magazine of Victoria Topping’s first illustrated book, ‘Mythologica’, which was awarded ‘children’s non-fiction book of the year’ by Amazon. Victoria explores the classical pantheon for young readers in stunning bold colour - and right there in the book is Minerva. I nearly fell off my chair!
I am still struggling to believe this serendipity, since Victoria is based in Bath as well. Was it simply coincidence, or the universe bringing us together? Meeting that summer of 2019, we talked about the vision Emily and I have for Minerva to empower the next generation of young women, creators and stewards of this land. It’s not often you meet someone who is on the same wavelength and vibe. You can feel it in your bones, the feeling when you realise you’ve met a friend for life.
In our discussion it became evident that it was essential the artwork embody my Samoan culture, as well as Emily’s Bath-bred family values and the traditional aspects of Minerva (named Athena by the ancient Greeks). Hence the following emerged as the brief to Victoria for a portrait of our goddess.
Imagine the world we live in a thousand years from now.
There are no borders, no racism. Humankind as we know it has merged, forming myriad new peoples all cooperating, creating and caring for their planet in reciprocal harmony. Envisage our Minerva reborn in that time - how would she look? How would she represent herself to her people, as the namesake to their ideals?
As you may have noticed by the repeating header image to our newsletters, we couldn’t be happier with the results of our commission! Victoria’s work is inspiring, but even more importantly to me she has been an incredible friend. Graciously selfless with her time, giving support throughout the process in creating the first Minerva VineArt and this exclusive one-time label. It wouldn’t have been possible were it not also her ambition to create something unique for this city.
So wouldn’t you like to meet her? Well actually you can! Read on to find out...
about the artist
Victoria Topping is an internationally recognised artist and illustrator. She studied art and illustration locally at UWE Bristol, and also at London College of Fashion. With more than a decade of professional experience, Victoria has held solo exhibitions across the UK and Europe including shows in London, Barcelona, Strasbourg, Ibiza and Bristol.
With an ever-evolving creative practice that fuses digital and traditional techniques, Victoria has created a distinct visual language in her work, incorporating vivid colour, bold forms and recurring motifs. Predominantly known for her printmaking, Victoria is now increasingly focused on creating original pieces; one-off multimedia works that sit at the interface of collage and painting.
Drawing influence from varied and disparate sources – everything from high camp disco sleeves to 1950s technical drawing manuals, from exotic flora and fauna to traditional folk art – Victoria's work achieves a synthesis that is at once both unique and familiar. Her singular style has caught the eye of many businesses, and she's carried out branding, illustration and graphic briefs for numerous festivals, nightclubs, record labels and of course, us here at Minerva wine.
She is Artistic Director for On the Corner Records, an award winning independent record label based in London. Victoria currently lives and works in Bath.
meet victoria
We had a fantastic opportunity to film Victoria working on the final Minerva art piece and hang out in her studio. Check out the video here
It was such a great experience for everyone we conceived the idea of holding our Launch Event right there surrounded by her artwork.
So here we are, finally announcing the first exclusive Minerva event for Founding Members! Which promises to be a rather unique experience, the first amongst many rare benefits founders will be able to enjoy.
Community gatherings, meetings with experts, VIP wine tasting & ‘VineDining’ functions, special access to the anticipated viticulture Centre of Excellence, discounts on wines and luxury vineyard retreats, actually the list goes on…
The launch event will be held in the New Year at Victoria’s studio in Bath. Founders (those joining at tiers 2 & 3) will be invited to attend and meet Victoria, Emily and myself, along with your fellow founders - a new ‘Aiga* to celebrate and discuss all things Minerva. There will be a wonderful opportunity to share, taste and critique the first vintage all together. The date (to be confirmed) will also coincide with delivery of bottles to founders.
There will be a limit of only 3000 founding members, one for each bottle of the first vintage, with no additions in the future - since families can only be so large! So if you are interested in joining the tribe, be sure to keep a keen eye on Minerva newsletters for future announcements on this one-time opportunity to become a founder.
When is that? Hint, there’s a countdown timer in the footer!
* ʻAiga - A word in the Samoan language which means ‘family.’ ʻAiga consists of a wider family group of blood and marriage or even adopted connections. Individuals in the ‘aiga are expected to be generous with their possessions and prioritise the interests of the group or community over their own.