Gonçalo Fialho (aka Uivo) Authors The Art Of The 4th Special Edition Of Sandeman Founder’s Reserve
The new Sandeman Founder’s Reserve tube design, entitled “Pele Viva” (“Living Skin”), offers a visual interpretation of this Reserve Ruby Port’s distinctive expression of youth.
Sandeman, the most awarded Port Wine brand, standing out since 1790 for its pioneering and disruptive spirit, is reinforcing its historic bond with the world of the arts with the introduction of the fourth special and limited edition of the Sandeman Founder’s Reserve tube. This time, the visual interpretation of the iconic Reserve Ruby Port is entrusted to the Portuguese artist Gonçalo Fialho, aka Uivo.
With a career marked by urban art and visual storytelling, Uivo created the artwork “Pele Viva” (“Living Skin”) for this edition, translating into a contemporary visual language the energy and vitality that define this wine. Inspired both by the brand’s universe and the landscapes of the Douro & Vila Nova de Gaia, this illustration builds connections between nature, people and the land. The result is a composition capturing the intensity of the profile of Founder’s Reserve — a wine often described as “the essence of youth, with a bold character.”
Referring to the creative process, the artist explained that he found inspiration for this project in the longevity of the brand: “In informal conversation, we tend to describe age as a state of mind. Sandeman, a brand with over 200 years of history, represents that exact resistance in standing the test of time. In the cellars, the vineyards flowing towards the river, and in the people, I found the flourishing of youth. I drew the youth of the brand as an explosion of energy within a brief moment in time — the living skin of the places and people I discovered”.
The new tube design reflects this intrinsic connection to the river and the land through graphic elements evoking the biodiversity of the Douro and its urban energy. This collaboration reinforces Sandeman’s continued commitment to supporting contemporary artists — a tradition that dates back to 1920 and has included notable partnerships with artists such as Jean d’Ylen and George Massiot Brown.
This artistic heritage remains alive in the Sandeman Cellars, at Quinta do Seixo, and in The Sandeman Gallery — the brand’s digital gallery that brings together creative projects developed in collaboration with artists such as Mário Belém and Camila Nogueira.
The new limited edition of Sandeman Founder’s Reserve tube is already available at the Sandeman cellars, in Vila Nova de Gaia, and at Quinta do Seixo, in the Douro Region, and will also arrive at several retail outlets across Portugal, with a SRP (Suggested, non-binding) of €14.99.
