Prince Gyasi, the sought-after visual artist from Accra, Ghana, has made a name for himself with his vivid, colour-saturated imagery, surreal compositions and distinctive reimagining of how Africa is seen and represented.
The self-taught artist works across photography, film, fashion and design, and in 2024 became the first African artist to photograph and creative-direct the Pirelli Calendar, marking its 50th anniversary. His collaborators include Apple, Off-White and Balmain. Now, Gyasi is joining Martell as a creative partner, bringing his perspective to the cognac house’s 311-year history. The collaboration will span film, design and cultural experiences, beginning with a piece shot at Château de Chanteloup, Martell’s historic estate in Cognac, France.
Directed by TJ Sawyer, the film sees the estate transformed by the artist’s arrival; French classical music gives way to Afrobeats as the landscape shifts into Gyasi’s vibrant visual world, bringing Cognac and Accra into the same frame. Gyasi also moves through the grounds with a golden Ghanaian pushcart.
“When I first experienced Château de Chanteloup, what really drew my attention was how Martell has been able to preserve such a beautiful space and its story,” he tells us. “I was amazed that they’ve been able to do that for centuries. It made me realise that enjoying the process is really important, and that great things take time.” The partnership also gives Gyasi room to work on his own terms: “I didn’t want to change my language to fit the Maison—I wanted to bring my world into theirs and see what happens. That’s where the collaboration felt honest to me.”
Bringing classical art, Cognac and Afrobeats together came naturally to the artist, who grew up in a musical family: “Honestly, it was naturally easy as those things already exist in my world. I think when you stay true to how you naturally see things, individuality takes care of itself.” Colour plays a very significant role in the film. Gyasi experiences grapheme-colour synesthesia, meaning letters, numbers, names and days of the week have very distinct colours and personalities. For this project, pink sand represents optimism for the future. “I wanted to show Martell from my perspective and make something that feels full of energy and tranquility and emotion,” Gyasi explains. “The pink sand stands for hope, or should I say optimism, for the future so I brought that with me.”
The film marks the beginning of an ongoing partnership, with further projects due to be unveiled in the coming weeks. For Gyasi, it’s an opportunity to contribute to a legacy while celebrating African art and music’s influence on global culture. “Martell has such a rich history and has done an amazing job of preserving that story,” he says, “but the story is still being written.”
