Luxury Maison KANDOBLANC Presents Dragon in Clouds – To Be Offered at Sotheby’s x Distillers One of One Auction 2025

Luxury Maison KANDOBLANC Presents “Dragon in Clouds” – Exhibited at Sotheby’s x Distillers One of One Auction 2025 ​
KANDOBLANC LTD Press release: September 22, 2025 KANDOBLANC Presents “Dragon in Clouds” – To Be Offered at Sotheby’s x Distillers One of One Auction 2025
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KANDOBLANC, a luxury maison whose mission is to preserve and evolve heritage crafts in the form of contemporary art, will exhibit its new work, Dragon in Clouds, at the Sotheby’s x Distillers One of One Auction 2025, to be held in October 2025. This work marks the first in the “YUKARI” series, a journey that deeply appeals to the senses through philosophical design. About the Brand and Founder KANDOBLANC is a luxury fashion house founded in 2023 by artistic director Dhaval Gandhi. Gandhi is a creative visionary living in Scotland who has cultivated his own unique aesthetic through his experience at distilleries such as The Macallan, and has developed a deep connection with the philosophy and aesthetic sense of Japanese culture. He has sublimated whisky as a medium of cultural expression, building a unique world of work that combines craft and storytelling. By creating meticulously crafted contemporary heirlooms centered around rare whisky, he is pioneering a new realm of art and craft. The brand’s debut piece, “AGA,” unveiled at Sotheby’s in 2023, is a one-of-a-kind piece that combines Venetian Murano glass and Japanese kintsugi (gold-lacquered lacquerware). It set two world records and made a lasting impression on the international design and crafts community. KANDOBLANC’s philosophy is “cultural curation.” It bridges the gap between traditional techniques and contemporary expression, and is centered around the Japanese concept of “kandō” (emotion)—the power of quiet beauty to move the heart. Gandhi spoke about this philosophy as follows: “KANDOBLANC is like a blank canvas. You can freely draw, connect, and create. Its formlessness is challenging, and at the same time, most inspiring. Our work is to create unique objects that speak to the ages. We bridge the gap between traditional craftsmanship and modern perspectives.” About “Dragon in Clouds” The “Dragon in Clouds” piece being exhibited this time is an unparalleled piece that brings together the finest Japanese handicraftsmanship and the finest Italian glass art. Under the direction of Artistic Director Dhaval Gandhi, KANDOBLANC collaborated with Hikoju Makie, a group of lacquer artisans from Wajima, and VENINI, a renowned glassware manufacturer on Murano Island, a mecca for glass art with over a thousand years of history, to create this piece over two years of creative work. At the heart of this piece is a single malt Scotch whisky that has been aged for 60 years. This rare presence, endowed with grace and quiet complexity, is combined with the layered craftsmanship to create a truly unique piece called Dragon in Clouds.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/169649/1/169649-1-4d00c67b7562dded9222164bdf5c2dbc-1200×1800.jpg The foundation of this work is a magnum-sized glass vessel created by Venini. Combining two techniques—Inciso, which carves delicate patterns, and Battuto, which creates a hammered, uneven surface—the work harmonizes the opposing textures of transparency and opacity. The light that filters in spreads as if dancing within, creating a veritable symphony of light and shadow. The vessel’s shape is inspired by the aesthetic sense of Japanese ceramics, and its flowing contours, combining both motion and stillness, evoke the mythical existence of a dragon, freely traveling between heaven and earth. The top of this piece is adorned with Togidashi Maki-e, the pinnacle of Japanese lacquer art. Lacquer is a “breathing skin” that deepens in color with age. The design, inspired by the dragon paintings of Southern Song Dynasty painter Chen Rong, is expressed through repeated sprinklings of gold powder and meticulous polishing, as if emerging from the depths of the lacquer. This technique deepens the narrative with each layer, while reflecting the spirit of “restraint,” a cornerstone of Japanese aesthetics. Furthermore, hidden within is a ceramic core, highly durable and long-lasting. This “invisible foundation,” which maintains its shape through generations, embodies KANDOBLANC’s philosophy as a guardian of cultural memory. A specially crafted disk forged from precious metal forms a tranquil center within the composition. It is both a functional element and a symbolic center of gravity that supports the spirituality of the entire piece. Gandhi concludes: “Dragon in Clouds is a work of emotion. It reflects our belief that true beauty has a quiet power to move people, to inspire emotion. Through our submission to Distillers’ Charity, we embody our mission to preserve and celebrate traditional techniques.” Image
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/169649/1/169649-1-0ea5a228c5066388761cde877d6c2bca-1800×1200.jpg Practicing Cultural Sustainability Dragon in Clouds goes beyond aesthetic beauty to demonstrate KANDOBLANC’s unwavering commitment to cultural sustainability. By fostering sustainable creative
opportunities with master artisans, ancient skills not only survive but evolve into the future. Today’s customers and collectors truly desire works that convey cultural stories and emotional depth. “Dragon in Clouds” demonstrates that art and crafts can be guardians of culture, bridging the gap between past and future, East and West, tradition and innovation. This announcement also marks the launch of “YUKARI,” a journey that deeply engages the senses. Exploring Japanese aesthetics through the framework of collectable design, this project will continue with the creation of one-of-a-kind pieces inspired by symbols of Japanese culture, each exploring KANDOBLANC’s vision of “the intersection of tradition and innovation” from a different angle. The “Sotheby’s x Distillers One of One Auction 2025” will be held on Friday, October 10, 2025, with all proceeds going to the activities of “Distillers’ Charity.” About Dhaval Gandhi Dhaval Gandhi is a creative visionary living in Scotland. Since childhood, he has possessed a keen sense of smell and has perceived the world through memories of scent and space. After earning a master’s degree in distillation, he gained experience at The Macallan and Lakes Distillery, developing a unique philosophy that combines aesthetics, narrative, and sensory design in whisky making. In 2023, he founded “KANDOBLANC,” a Japanese brand centered on the Japanese word “kandō” (emotion).
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/169649/1/169649-1-59d186f97f1da78c41ba2fa41afab962-1800×1200.jpg About KANDOBLANC KANDOBLANC is a visionary maison that connects art and culture, creating unique, one-of-a-kind art pieces. Inspired by the spirit of Japanese culture, which resonated deeply with founder Dhaval Gandhi, the maison respects heritage crafts while
reinterpreting them for the modern era. As “living museums,” the maison’s creations embody cultural sustainability, building a legacy that connects the past and the future, beauty and philosophy. https://kandoblanc.com
For inquiries regarding this matter, please contact japan@kandoblanc.com For more information about this release