MACHAS

Raise a glass to change: Fernando Chamarelli for Stella Artois and water.org

The smooth transition between Fernando Chamarelli’s dynamic designs and his native Brazil is plain to see. In a country full of life, inspiration is everywhere. So naturally, Fernando’s signature vibrancy soaks in the atmospheric melting pot of his country, and when Stella Artois sought an artist to channel the vitality of their heritage for a limited edition water.org beer chalice, Fernando’s Brazilian flair flavoured the cup.

Stella Artois and the London agency Mother were on the look out for a meaningful aesthetic to illuminate their Buy a Lady a Drink campaign in support of water.org’s provision of clean drinking water for women in less economically developed countries. Fernando’s colourful designs became the vital splash for the packaging, where a bold pattern was needed to adorn the box, whilst the chalice required graphic detail to appear as an etching encircling the glass rim.

“I did not have much difficulty to work on the two versions,” says Fernando, “because before starting a painting and using infinite colours of paint I always make sketches on paper, using a lot of lines and studying shapes. All I needed to do to make the chalice illustration as strong as the packaging was to improve the outlines and to not think of colours.”

Fernando’s thirst for design flows within his distinctive style. Having grown up around the waterfalls and rivers of central Brazil, his undulating forms and curvilinear shapes are a nod to the organic movement of his country’s wilderness. Today Fernando juxtaposes everything from street art, tattoo art to pre-Columbian figures in celebratory hues that declare the vigour and indomitable resilience of his culture. For Stella Artois’ packaging pattern, spiralling waves of kaleidoscopic colours wrap around figures enjoying the natural rhythm of life. A man caresses a bongo drum whilst further figures soak in the sun or melt into the sea referencing Brazil’s active beach scene. For the chalice design, these figures appear in etched form as they link together floating like mermaids and life givers enjoying the fresh waters of Brazil—as it should be.

Fernando has always been very open about his social and political beliefs, and the project is very close to his heart. “This project is important to Brazilians and me. I get involved in social projects whenever I can, and if I through my art, something I love to do, I can somehow help people, well this is great. The partnership between Stella Artois and water.org is a fantastic initiative and should be taken as inspiration by other big companies.”

“Water is an issue in Brazil: we recently had a president that was born in an almost desertic area in the northeastern region; he secured and completed this year a major project to divert the route from one of the largest rivers in Brazil to this dry region and provide people with water. It was amazing!

Brazil is in a terrible economic crisis at the moment, and we have a really bad president and rulers. We can not count on them to help poor people. So the “Buy A Lady A Drink” campaign is important: everyone can help so that we can turn Brazil and the world into a better place.”

The campaign viral reach is supported by a 30’ and a 60’ TV spot featuring water.org’s founder and Hollywood actor Matt Damon holding Fernando’s chalice and also comprises of “Our Dream of Water” a full-length documentary presented at the Sundance Festival and produced in collaboration with National Geographic.With the joyous energy of Fernando’s uplifting patterns, the positive change of having access to clean drinking water is as clear as crystal.

See more of Fernando’s work here.