Building on Johnnie Walker’s progressive ‘Keep Walking’ spirit, ‘Bold Steps’ sets out to open doors for the next generation of talent within the creative industries. So, when Johnnie Walker and Diet Paratha first invited artists to share a design for a limited edition bottle back in January, illustrator and graphic designer Kushiaania knew she wanted to apply. “I was already following Diet Paratha, as is basically every South Asian creative, and even non-creative, that I know,” says the Yorkshire-born, London-based artist. “I can’t think of another platform that celebrates such a wide range of South Asian creatives.”
Further encouraged by her friends to apply, Kushiaania admits she nearly missed the deadline, which asked creatives to get inspired by their own creative expression: “I had done a few drafts and I just wasn’t happy with what I was creating. I put it aside, and on the final day of submissions, I just sat down and drew it out until I was happy with my design.”
Kushiaania’s winning design, is inspired by the Brit-Asian ‘culture-clash’ experience. “I’ve been leaning into iconography and the things that I personally link to my Asian upbringing and heritage,” she explains of the design. “Even simple things like chillies and mangos are so synonymous with it to me.”
The illustration also includes references to Kushiaania’s interest in fashion (there’s a pair of trendy trainers and a spiked bracelet, making for a powerful bottle design celebrating self-expression, feminine strength and joy. “I just wanted to make something that was bold, bright and colourful and would make anyone feel happy looking at it,” she says.
Looking to her earliest influences, Kushiaania fondly recalls an artistic upbringing. “It’s quite unusual, whenever I tell other South Asian people they’re always surprised but my family is very creative so I was always encouraged to draw and paint and get really stuck in it. My mum is a self-taught seamstress and an artist, my dad draws a lot too and my sister is a writer,” she shares.
Kushiaania studied fashion design at college, where she unlocked a new world of creative self-expression and freedom. “I found that, despite having a really open and encouraging family, we still grew up in the South Asian community so there were still rules for dressing and self-expression was difficult,” she explains. “I couldn’t dress the way I always wanted to, although I definitely pushed them to their limits sometimes. Art became my escape as a way to express myself in a different way, and I think my interest in fashion design came from seeing what I didn’t think I could wear and taking it as inspiration for my next drawing or artwork.”
It was while studying that Kushiaania was introduced to the work of Indian fashion designer Manish Arora, and she admits to being “mind-blown” first witnessing his evocative garments: “I’d never seen anything like it before – to me, our heritage was always very traditional and it was something I tried to stay away from.” Kushiaania recalls feeling othered due to her Punjabi heritage, and as a result, shied away from embracing her authentic style and love of colour.
Art became my escape as a way to express myself in a different way, and I think my interest in fashion design came from seeing what I didn’t think I could wear and taking it as inspiration for my next drawing or artwork.
Kushiaania
It wasn’t until she moved to London in her mid-20s that the artist gained confidence in expressing her heritage in her style and her work. Kushiaania worked in the fashion industry for eight years but started to realise she was enjoying drawing designs above all else, and in 2020 made the decision to pursue illustration. “During the pandemic, I had a new opportunity to draw just to draw, and not for work. It became a bit of therapy for me quickly, and before I knew it, this,” she says, gesturing over Zoom to a super-sized magenta pink portrait hanging on the wall behind her, “This is what came out. When I started posting them on Instagram, people would reply with their own stories and tell me that they’d never seen work like this or never been able to resonate with artwork like this.”
“It sounds naive in hindsight,” she says tentatively, “But I didn’t realise other people felt the same way. This has been the most beautiful part, to connect me to people that have resonated with my artwork. It inspires me to keep creating illustrations that people of colour, who have known the struggle of finding their identity within their culture, can relate to.”
Diet Paratha’s curatorial community and mentorship network serve the same purpose, and Kushiaania recognises the importance the digital platform plays in discovering new art and artists. “I think without having your own platform, it’s so hard to find and connect with similar creatives. I’m constantly inspired by all the work Diet Paratha showcases, it really highlights the vast array of skills and creativity we have as a community,” she says.
“I’ve got the bottle displayed in my studio already,” she beams. “It feels like a real achievement.”
Along with the £5,000 cash prize, Kushiaania has started receiving mentorship through Diet Paratha’s Family Tree and Johnnie Walker from Art Director, Manu Pillai. “I think the nicest thing about the mentorship so far is just being able to speak to someone that understands what you’ve been through or are currently facing with the same perspective,” Kushiaania explains. “I know I have friends and peers I can talk to, but getting to chat with an industry leader and pick their brains about how they’ve navigated the industry has been invaluable.”
“It’s not often we’re told that we’re Brown and Brilliant and to live out our dreams,” says Simone Ashley in the Johnnie Walker campaign video produced by Diet Paratha. “That our Brown pushes boundaries, from our people it beams. To all our power that we hold, to all our ambitions, we are sunkissed gold.”
Kushiaania’s celebratory bottle has really inspired us, from the bold colours to the symbols of joy and strength, the design adds a significant dimension to the Johnnie Walker Black Label bottle and it perfectly embodies the brand’s ‘Keep Walking’ ethos.
Pranay Chandra, Head of Johnnie Walker and Single Malts
Speaking on the winning bottle design, Head of Johnnie Walker and Single Malts, Pranay Chandra, commented: “Kushiaania’s celebratory bottle has really inspired us, from the bold colours to the symbols of joy and strength, the design adds a significant dimension to the Johnnie Walker Black Label bottle and it perfectly embodies the brand’s ‘Keep Walking’ ethos. As champions of progressive voices and talent, we are committed to shining a light and standing up for creative representation and are proud of this milestone in the ‘Bold Steps’ campaign.”
“It’s so powerful to hear a brand like Johnnie Walker be unapologetic with their support and speak so directly to South Asian creatives,” Kushiaania says of the campaign. “You know, we should be celebrated for all that we do. We are incredible.”
Kushiaania’s bespoke Johnnie Walker Black Label for ‘Bold Steps’ is available to buy at thebar.com now.
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