Ad Category Above Title [D:1440×400 M:1440×400]

gafencu Shop

gafencu  app

Ad Category Sidebar [D:300×300 M:300×300]

Ad Video Category Above Title


<p>The recent sale of Hugh Hefner’s personal heirlooms and the Playboy archives has highlighted once again the huge historical and cultural impact this libertarian had on America and society the world over. Hefner was a one-off, a complex man who overtly encouraged the pursuit of pleasure, and to the astonishment and displeasure of many, wielded immense influence on modern culture.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>Raised in the conservative 1930s, Hefner exhibited a creative streak from a young age, setting up a school magazine for which he provided a stream of cartoon strips. During his formative teenage years, he chaffed against social restrictions on matters like sex and immersed himself in popular culture. Considered a social high-flyer at school, he loved movies, cartoons, magazines, dancing and swing music. Enlisting in the army in 1944, he contributed to military newspapers, and after the Second World War studied psychology, art and creative writing at college. He was spurred to publish his own magazine when refused a pay rise as a copywriter at Esquire.</p>



<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:25% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="848" height="1024" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/00_Playboy-Hugh-Hefner-Tribute_Cover-848x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81186 size-full" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/00_Playboy-Hugh-Hefner-Tribute_Cover-848x1024.jpg 848w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/00_Playboy-Hugh-Hefner-Tribute_Cover-232x280.jpg 232w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/00_Playboy-Hugh-Hefner-Tribute_Cover-768x928.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/00_Playboy-Hugh-Hefner-Tribute_Cover-1272x1536.jpg 1272w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/00_Playboy-Hugh-Hefner-Tribute_Cover-1696x2048.jpg 1696w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/00_Playboy-Hugh-Hefner-Tribute_Cover-200x242.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/00_Playboy-Hugh-Hefner-Tribute_Cover-800x966.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<p>Following the launch of Playboy magazine in 1953, Hefner became the epitome of the self- made man so admired in US society. His vision echoed the changing cultural landscape as post-war America boomed and mass consumerism became emblematic of the dominant world power.</p>
</div></div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">An intellectual Playboy</h3>



<p>In the early 1950s, most men’s magazines were outdoor-themed and championed the male bonding that emerged in the post-Second World War era over the likes of poker, bowling, hunting and fishing. “This had no real interest for Hef,” says David Goodman, CEO of Julien’s Auctions, who oversaw the March sale of Playboy memorabilia. “He wanted to distinguish his magazine from all the others and cater to the indoor guy instead – the intellectual, cosmopolitan male – focusing on the single life, the period of bachelorhood before you settle down.”</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_06-1024x919.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81190" width="768" height="689" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_06-1024x919.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_06-312x280.jpg 312w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_06-768x689.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_06-1536x1379.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_06-2048x1838.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_06-200x180.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_06-800x718.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Ultimately, Goodman believes Hefner created Playboy because it was a magazine that he personally would enjoy, and because he saw no others in the marketplace aimed specifically at the stylish male singleton. Certainly, through Playboy’s pages and throughout his personal life, the entertainment mogul railed against the perception that men, married or otherwise, should be encumbered by convention. ‘The Playboy Philosophy’ advocated was, in his own words, “a moral maturity and honesty’’ in line with “adult tastes, interests and opinions”.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Mother knows best</h3>



<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:auto 25%"><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<p>Raising the US$8,000 necessary to publish the magazine’s inaugural issue required some maternal support; his mother contributed a cheque for US$1,000. “His father said no, but his mother believed not necessarily in his venture, but in him,” reveals Goodman.</p>
</div><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="719" height="1024" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Playboy-Magazine-1st-Issue_01-719x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81192 size-full" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Playboy-Magazine-1st-Issue_01-719x1024.jpg 719w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Playboy-Magazine-1st-Issue_01-196x280.jpg 196w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Playboy-Magazine-1st-Issue_01-768x1095.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Playboy-Magazine-1st-Issue_01-1078x1536.jpg 1078w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Playboy-Magazine-1st-Issue_01-200x285.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Playboy-Magazine-1st-Issue_01-800x1140.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Playboy-Magazine-1st-Issue_01.jpg 1263w" sizes="(max-width: 719px) 100vw, 719px" /></figure></div>



<p>Setting the tone for a bold new publication, the first issue featured intimate portraits of emerging film actress Marilyn Monroe. They had been shot by celebrity photographer Tom Kelley, who then sold them to the John Baumgarth calendar company on Chicago’s West Side, close to where Hefner grew up. Knowing he needed a hook to create a buzz and attract readers, the fledgling publisher “drove out there in his beat-up Chevy, met with Baumgarth, and purchased the photos”.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Pin-up party</h3>



<p>“Marilyn’s appearance in that initial issue and her now-famous response to the [nude] photos [being published], ‘I had nothing on but the radio,’ made a huge impact on the magazine’s success. Marilyn drew them in and the rest of the content kept them coming back,” says Goodman.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_01-1024x678.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81188" width="768" height="509" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_01-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_01-423x280.jpg 423w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_01-768x509.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_01-1536x1017.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_01-2048x1356.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_01-200x132.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_01-800x530.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Playboy became synonymous with nude ‘pin-up girls’, and by rallying against America’s prevailing puritan values, it brought sex into the public forum. “It was Hef who believed that the pin-up could – and should – be acceptable in everyday life, right alongside art, culture, literature, et cetera. He rightly believed that the sexual nature of the pin-up wasn’t shameful and that our sexuality should be celebrated.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Pushing boundaries</h3>



<p>According to Goodman, Playboy had a profound influence on public opinion and the way we think as individuals. Upon Hefner’s death in 2017 at the age of 91, The New York Times obituary said as much: values long espoused in the magazine now reflected American society. However, it also noted that both the man and his brand were criticised over the decades as adolescent, exploitative and degrading to women.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_08-1024x667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81191" width="768" height="500" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_08-1024x667.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_08-430x280.jpg 430w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_08-768x500.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_08-1536x1001.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_08-2048x1334.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_08-200x130.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_08-800x521.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Hefner’s track record on social issues of the day reads more positively. He was never afraid to embrace and defend unpopular opinions at the time, and his liberal ideals helped to advance progressive values and civil rights within society. Playboy interviewed Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Fidel Castro and Jimmy Hoffa, among many other momentous figures, and regularly covered topics that were considered taboo.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Leading the debate</h3>



<p>From 1965, the issue of abortion was discussed in nearly every issue until the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973, and the Playboy Foundation began funding the abortion rights movement in 1966. “Letters from women were published, describing the emotional and physical pain they experienced from botched illegal abortions and, while Playboy’s stance was very clear, Hef let readers debate the issue publicly by printing responses monthly – both pro-life and pro-choice,” notes Goodman.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_03-745x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81189" width="559" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_03-745x1024.jpg 745w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_03-204x280.jpg 204w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_03-768x1055.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_03-1118x1536.jpg 1118w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_03-1490x2048.jpg 1490w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_03-200x275.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_03-800x1099.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_with-girls_03-scaled.jpg 1863w" sizes="(max-width: 559px) 100vw, 559px" /></figure></div>


<p>The magazine was ahead of public discourse on the issue of homosexuality, too: “Not only did people not discuss homosexuality [then], but the idea of a publication accepting it as an alternate lifestyle was revolutionary,” opines Goodman. It began editorialising about Aids before any other national magazine, educating its readers and bringing rational thought to the subject. Goodman says: “While the media was causing panic and prejudice by reporting on Aids as a ‘gay disease’, Playboy delved into the science, explaining that that’s not how viruses work – they don’t discriminate.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Club rules</h3>



<p>On the back of the magazine’s early success, Hefner opened the inaugural Playboy Club in his home city in 1960. Scores followed in the US and even overseas, and they were notorious for their parade of scantily clad Bunny girls. Criticism grew that the concept objectified women and the clubs were closed by the late 1980s, but Goodman argues they performed a useful social purpose. “The Playboy Clubs were groundbreaking not only for the stylish and sophisticated atmosphere they provided their patrons but more importantly for the advancement of the civil rights movement,” he states.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>“Members of all races were welcomed, as were performers, and Bunnies of all races were employed. Black musicians performed regularly, right alongside white performers. Aretha Franklin, then 18, got her start professionally at the Chicago Playboy Club. It was her first performance in front of a white audience, at the height of the civil rights movement.”</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_solo_02-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81187" width="768" height="511" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_solo_02-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_solo_02-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_solo_02-768x511.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_solo_02-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_solo_02-2048x1363.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_solo_02-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hugh-Hefner_solo_02-800x532.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Hefner even bought back the franchises of clubs in New Orleans and Miami that refused to allow Black members. “This anti-segregation policy was at the heart of Hef’s ethos, and he would not stand for any deviation from it,” says Goodman. Black entertainer and activist Dick Gregory commented that “white folks weren’t exposed to [black comedians] until this fragile guy who smoked a pipe put us on stage”.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>It was fitting that Julien’s auction united Hefner and his Playboy memorabilia with that of Marilyn Monroe. Both were symbolic of the sexual revolution in the 1950s and 1960s. Although the publishing magnate never met the actress during her short lifetime, they are close in death – he purchased the crypt next to hers in 1992 and is interred there. Whether he is resting easily is a matter of debate. As Goodman said of the recent sale, it was “about a time and a place that does not exist anymore”.</p>


Beyond Bunny: How the late – and lamented by some – Playboy millionaire Hugh Hefner shifted the cultural landscape


<p>The decision by Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp to step down at the end of the season came as a shock to the football world and brought to the attention of a wider audience the mental pressure and physical toll exerted by top- tier sports management.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>Here is a charismatic leader at the very pinnacle of his profession, who is adored by his legion of fans and has brought fantastic success to Liverpool over the past eight years. Trophies and finals have come in bucket loads. He masterminded in 2019-20 Liverpool’s first- ever Premier League, took his side to three Uefa Champions League finals, winning one, and secured a Fifa Club World Cup title. Only weeks ago yet another final and trophy came his way – an epic League Cup victory over Chelsea.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="684" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/jurgen-klopp-liverpool-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81158" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/jurgen-klopp-liverpool-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/jurgen-klopp-liverpool-419x280.jpg 419w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/jurgen-klopp-liverpool-768x513.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/jurgen-klopp-liverpool-1536x1026.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/jurgen-klopp-liverpool-2048x1368.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/jurgen-klopp-liverpool-200x134.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/jurgen-klopp-liverpool-800x534.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


<p>But the manner of winning that latest final underscores the relentless pressure the drive for success brings. It came with a goal late in extra-time, just two minutes before the dreaded penalty shootout would have kicked in. Playing against a team assembled for megabucks, Klopp was forced to field a crop of untried youngsters due to his squad’s horrendous injury list.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>The fact that Liverpool found a way to win can be attributed in no small part to his inspirational management as well as their determination to give him a good send-off. There have been low points during his Anfield tenure, of course; last season the team were poor by their previous high standards and failed to qualify for the Champions League – a stress-inducing scenario for any leader.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Energy sapping</h3>



<p>In a brutally honest statement delivered to Liverpool fans and the media in late January, Klopp indicated this constant drive for success was draining his energy levels. “It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy,” he declared. “I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again.”</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>There appeared to be no bitterness in this parting of ways, with Klopp adding: “I love absolutely everything about this club, I love everything about the city, I love everything about our supporters, I love the team, I love the staff. I love everything. But that I still take this decision shows you that I am convinced it is the one I have to take.”</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Jurgen-Klopp-Stressed-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81157" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Jurgen-Klopp-Stressed-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Jurgen-Klopp-Stressed-498x280.jpg 498w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Jurgen-Klopp-Stressed-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Jurgen-Klopp-Stressed-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Jurgen-Klopp-Stressed-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Jurgen-Klopp-Stressed-200x113.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Jurgen-Klopp-Stressed-800x450.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


<p>Klopp, of course, is not the only high-profile figure in recent years to cite depleted energy levels as the main cause of their departure from a ‘dream’ job. Jacinda Ardern became prime minister of New Zealand in 2017 aged just 37 but resigned five years later, telling the media: “I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It is that simple.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Low battery</h3>



<p>Indeed, some well-being professionals have applauded the honesty of such decisions and the explanations behind them. These are highly successful individuals who felt they were simply no longer able to perform to the maximum of their abilities due to burnout. Jeffrey Kindler similarly quoted the nature of his job as justification when, in 2010, he unexpectedly stepped down from the helm of Pfizer, then the world’s biggest drugmaker. While commentators suggested ulterior motives in Kindler’s case, such as leaving before ignominiously being forced to quit, the very human need to “recharge the batteries” remains a potent line of reasoning.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="659" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3760137-1024x659.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81159" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3760137-1024x659.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3760137-435x280.jpg 435w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3760137-768x494.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3760137-1536x988.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3760137-2048x1317.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3760137-200x129.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3760137-800x515.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


<p>Senior roles like those occupied by the Klopps, Arderns and Kindlers of this world require unbounded commitment and stamina, endless rounds of meetings and taking decisions that are subject to intense scrutiny. To succeed in such an environment takes a very thick skin and super-high energy levels. To admit to feeling wanting in this regard is both rare and welcome, according to health experts.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Workplace stressors</h3>



<p>It is doubtful that Klopp is experiencing the full classic symptoms of burnout, a psychological condition many people have felt sometime during their life. The World Health Organization recognises burnout as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic work-related stress that is characterised by feelings of exhaustion, job-related cynicism and lack of professional efficacy. Klopp may be worn out right now, but he remains loyal to and loving of his mode of occupation and is performing to exemplary standards.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="768" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-energepiccom-313690-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81162" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-energepiccom-313690-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-energepiccom-313690-373x280.jpg 373w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-energepiccom-313690-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-energepiccom-313690-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-energepiccom-313690-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-energepiccom-313690-200x150.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-energepiccom-313690-800x600.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


<p>Nonetheless, his decision to leave Liverpool highlights the rise of burnout across the developed world. Earlier this year mental Health UK published its first annual burnout report, which revealed that one in five working adults in Britain required time off last year because of stress. It listed numerous workplace stressors contributing to the risk of burnout including high workload, job insecurity and bullying. Contributing factors outside work, such as poor sleep, financial uncertainty, poor physical health and feeling isolated, were also acknowledged.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Burnout prevention</h3>



<p>On the flip side, supportive factors which help alleviate stress and prevent burnout included having a supportive network of family or friends, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and exercising regularly. In its recommendations to minimise the risk of burnout, the report emphasised the need for open dialogue about what a good workplace should look like, and the importance of managing workloads, prioritising wellbeing and communicating effectively.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>Researchers indicate that companies which prioritise mental health are sought after by the younger workforce, especially as burnout becomes a greater concern. It is therefore in employers’ best interests to encourage inclusivity and psychological safety in the workplace. Having strategies in place to safeguard employee mental health; pursuing an open dialogue about workload and work challenges; and conducting regular assessments of workplace stressors and burnout risks are considered valuable.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Relax, don’t do it…</h3>



<p>One relaxation technique purported to combat the epidemic of work-related stress and burnout is niksen. A Dutch wellness trend that translates as ‘do nothing’, it involves taking the hustle and bustle out of our daily lives for a time. As propounded by Olga Mecking in her 2021 book, Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing, being idle and allowing the mind to wander without feeling the need to be productive or fulfil a purpose is believed to invoke a state of happiness and healing.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-vika-glitter-1650209-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81163" width="840" height="560" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-vika-glitter-1650209-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-vika-glitter-1650209-420x280.jpg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-vika-glitter-1650209-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-vika-glitter-1650209-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-vika-glitter-1650209-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-vika-glitter-1650209-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-vika-glitter-1650209-800x533.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px" /></figure>



<p>While relinquishing control in this manner may be hard for some, others regard it as a lifesaver. Certainly Jürgen Klopp plans to do nothing once the football season has ended – and reportedly for an entire year afterwards.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>He may be joined by Leo Varadkar, who recently announced his shock resignation as Irish prime minister. He too, it seems, has been burdened by the weight of responsibility. “Politicians are human beings and we have our limitations,” he said. “We give it everything until we can’t anymore. And then we have to move on”.</p>


Fast Burn: What to do when job-related anxiety reaches fever pitch


<p>Elite sports stars have long held an irresistible attraction for adoring fans, who admire the physical prowess and mental toughness that sees athletes conquer adversity and remain at the pinnacle of their sporting endeavour. The very best are courted by the top global brands wanting to connect their product with the excellence of their sporting ambassadors.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>Just last month, German fashion house Hugo Boss looked to two upcoming tennis players from the country, Noma Noha Akugue and Ella Seidel, to spearhead a push into women’s tennis wear. During the qualification rounds of the Australian Open, the young stars wore Boss black and cream sportswear, including plisse-hem dresses or skirts, technical tops and layered shorts complete with logos.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/BOSS_Noma_Noha_Akugue_and_Ella_Seidel_original-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-80528" width="768" height="512" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/BOSS_Noma_Noha_Akugue_and_Ella_Seidel_original-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/BOSS_Noma_Noha_Akugue_and_Ella_Seidel_original-420x280.jpg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/BOSS_Noma_Noha_Akugue_and_Ella_Seidel_original-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/BOSS_Noma_Noha_Akugue_and_Ella_Seidel_original-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/BOSS_Noma_Noha_Akugue_and_Ella_Seidel_original-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/BOSS_Noma_Noha_Akugue_and_Ella_Seidel_original-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/BOSS_Noma_Noha_Akugue_and_Ella_Seidel_original-800x533.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Seidel, an 18-year-old known for her powerful play from the baseline, was certainly happy to join Boss as a brand ambassador, commenting on the win-win deal: “It is a real pleasure to enter this partnership with Boss at this exciting point in my career. I admire the brand’s continuous support for tennis – and sports in general – and am looking forward to channelling Boss energy, confidence and courage into my games.”</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>Akugue, two years her senior, also expressed delight in the association, opining the opportunity would put women’s tennis firmly in the spotlight and help her “forge a deeper connection with my fans”. Boss’s other tennis ambassador, Italian Matteo Berrettini, was due to sport new designs from the men’s tennis capsule collection he co-created but was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to injury.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/230711113901-02-jannik-sinner-gucci-wimbledon-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-80527" width="512" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/230711113901-02-jannik-sinner-gucci-wimbledon-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/230711113901-02-jannik-sinner-gucci-wimbledon-187x280.jpg 187w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/230711113901-02-jannik-sinner-gucci-wimbledon-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/230711113901-02-jannik-sinner-gucci-wimbledon-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/230711113901-02-jannik-sinner-gucci-wimbledon-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/230711113901-02-jannik-sinner-gucci-wimbledon-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/230711113901-02-jannik-sinner-gucci-wimbledon-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/230711113901-02-jannik-sinner-gucci-wimbledon.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></figure></div>


<p>Other fashion brands are attracted by the allure and athleticism of tennis players, with Gucci recently signing Jannick Sinner to its stable. The Italian, who carries his gear in a customised Gucci monogram duffel bag, appears in a poetic mood on the Gucci website, musing as he holds a book entitled Sinner by Sinner: “Jannick Sinner is humble. He’s aiming for perfection, and he’s not scared of doing things. … If I could have one superpower, it would be playing tennis forever. My journey is only just beginning!”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">China draw</h3>



<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile"><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<p>Luxury brands seeking to boost their influence with China’s youth are also offering endorsement contracts to the mainland’s top athletes.</p>
</div><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="618" height="1024" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Wang-Qiang_p_clip-618x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-80538 size-full" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Wang-Qiang_p_clip-618x1024.jpg 618w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Wang-Qiang_p_clip-169x280.jpg 169w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Wang-Qiang_p_clip-768x1273.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Wang-Qiang_p_clip-927x1536.jpg 927w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Wang-Qiang_p_clip-1235x2048.jpg 1235w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Wang-Qiang_p_clip-200x332.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Wang-Qiang_p_clip-800x1326.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Wang-Qiang_p_clip-scaled.jpg 1544w" sizes="(max-width: 618px) 100vw, 618px" /></figure></div>



<p>Prada has signed tennis player Wang Qiang, whilst Dior has taken on basketball player Guo Ailun. Both luxury titans view these associations as a powerful means to nurture growth and brand loyalty in a growing market segment. Some analysts believe Chinese sports stars offer a more wholesome image than their peers in pop music or film. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Flying the French flag</h3>



<p>Fashion brands are also maximising the opportunity presented by this summer’s Paris Olympics to score more points in the sporting arena. Luxury giant LVMH, whose maisons have created trophies or designed trophy trunks for high-level competitions for years, has struck a deal to sponsor the Games and appointed a trio of French talents as Louis Vuitton Paris Olympics ambassadors – swimmer Léon Marchand, artistic gymnast Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos and fencer Enzo Lefort. Jeweller Chaumet, meanwhile, is crafting the medals.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Marvellous Messi</h3>



<p>Part of the excitement of top-tier sport for fans is the narrow margin between success and failure; it could be the width of a post or the toe of a goalkeeper that separates winning from losing. So it proved in the 2022 World Cup Final when the outstretched leg of the Argentine goalkeeper stopped a certain winning goal in the closing stages of that epic game. The eventual victory for Argentina cemented Lionel Messi’s reputation as probably the best player to have ever graced the game of football. His mesmerising dribbling ability, low centre of gravity and perfect spatial awareness left the global audience spellbound. He is quite simply unique, a once-in-a-generation footballer.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Lionel-Messi_p_2-1024x585.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-80532" width="768" height="439" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Lionel-Messi_p_2-1024x585.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Lionel-Messi_p_2-490x280.jpg 490w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Lionel-Messi_p_2-768x439.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Lionel-Messi_p_2-1536x878.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Lionel-Messi_p_2-2048x1171.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Lionel-Messi_p_2-200x114.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Lionel-Messi_p_2-800x457.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Ranked by Forbes as the second highest-paid athlete in 2023 (behind that other international soccer icon, Cristiano Ronaldo), and in the top three in the revenue stakes for eight years running, Messi’s wide appeal is a godsend for brands with big bucks at their disposal. He tops SportsPro’s list of the world’s 50 Most Marketable Athletes.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>His star attraction is such that his Instagram account is just shy of 500 million followers. After his departure from Paris Saint-Germain last year, his next club, Inter Miami, had a massive uplift in their following. The Miami side, and potentially the maestro himself, are due in Hong Kong this month for an exhibition match.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Football fever</h3>



<p>Messi mania is why Louis Vuitton was so keen to feature him alongside Ronaldo in its advertising campaign prior to the 2022 World Cup. The duo’s combined allure meant the ad went instantly viral. A dozen years earlier, the house had employed the services of a trio of footballing greats – Pelé, Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane – in an advert.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>Another footballing superstar, David Beckham, has become something of a fashion icon, and in 2015 secured a five-year multimillion-dollar deal with Kent &amp; Curwen, the British menswear outfit offering heritage sporting style. Formerly owned by Hong Kong- based Trinity Group, Kent &amp; Curwen previously had Beckham’s ex-England and Real Madrid teammate Michael Owen on its books.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Passion and risk</h3>



<p>High-profile sport whips up a frenzy of passion and emotions, which brings rewards as well as risks for athletes and brands alike. Fans are desperate for success and competitors sometimes take risks, knowingly or unknowingly, that may cross the boundaries of lawful or ethical behaviour, posing huge challenges for their sponsors. Maradona, for instance, experienced a spectacular fall from grace at the 1994 World Cup after failing a drugs test. In 2016, when tennis ace Maria Sharapova tested positive for meldonium, a drug which can boost stamina and performance, sponsors Nike, Tag Heuer and Porsche quickly distanced themselves from the Russian star.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Tiger-Wood_04_p-1024x920.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-80537" width="768" height="690" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Tiger-Wood_04_p-1024x920.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Tiger-Wood_04_p-312x280.jpg 312w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Tiger-Wood_04_p-768x690.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Tiger-Wood_04_p-200x180.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Tiger-Wood_04_p-800x719.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Tiger-Wood_04_p.jpg 1110w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Interestingly, Nike stood by Tiger Woods in 2009 after lurid details of his extra-marital affairs were revealed to a titillated public eager for scandal. Other major brands dropped their endorsement deals with the champion golfer, but not the US sneaker and sports apparel giant. Woods had been with Nike for two decades and the deal they signed in 2000 was thought to be worth US$100 million. Despite the Woods’ sponsorship, sales of golf equipment never reached the levels of others like football, running or basketball, and Nike discontinued its golf range in 2016.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>Woods is known to have a close personal relationship with Nike co-founder Phil Knight and both paid emotional tributes upon their professional parting of ways. Such are the bonds forged over sport, its power to shape minds, and the desire of brands to tap into the glory.</p>


The Beautiful Game: Luxury brands are increasingly connecting with sports stars to further the ambition of both sides


<p>In these uncertain times, the ability to travel freely and live and work in other jurisdictions is increasingly sought after by high-net-worth individuals (HNWI). The advantages of full access to the global economy and unfettered travel are numerous, and the queue of countries willing to allow foreign nationals to purchase residency and citizenship rights is growing – both parties have much to gain.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>Just last year, for example, Namibia launched a residence by investment programme in a bid to seek foreign investment and boost economic growth. The scheme allows investors to secure residency rights in one of the most nature- and wildlife-rich countries in the world.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>“Nation states are using residence and citizenship by investment programmes as an innovative financing tool,” says Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of London-based investment migration consultancy Henley &amp; Partners. These programmes are a means “to allocate investors’ funds to national or regional social, infrastructure and development projects that benefit their citizens and residents”.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-3-1024x628.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-80161" width="768" height="471" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-3-1024x628.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-3-456x280.jpg 456w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-3-768x471.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-3-1536x943.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-3-2048x1257.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-3-200x123.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-3-800x491.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Countries normally offer two types of schemes – one which grants residency rights, known as a ‘Golden Visa’, in return for a substantial investment, and another that accords citizenship rights (leading to a passport) following the outlay of capital, often called a ‘Golden Passport’. In most cases, the person willing to plough money into the recipient country is not obliged to live there full-time during a year. Sometimes, there is no need to stay there at all.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Call of the Caribbean</h3>



<p>Take the Caribbean area, for instance, where five countries have a Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program: Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Grenada and St Lucia. Only the first of these requires a minimum period of residency.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>“The advantage of citizenship is that it is for life and affords you protection by the state,” says Christopher Willis, Managing Partner of investment migration expert Latitude Residency &amp; Citizenship. “In Antigua and Barbuda, you are required to spend five full days within the first five years of becoming a citizen. Once this is completed, you do not have to spend any further time on the island. None of the other islands has a residence requirement.”</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>The two main investment options are to make a donation or purchase approved real estate. “In the case of St Lucia, you can also invest into a zero-interest government bond,” notes Willis.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">European allure</h3>



<p>Some of the most sought-after residence and citizenship by investment programs are in Europe. For the past eight years, Malta has headed a ranking by Henley &amp; Partners of the best such schemes. “Malta operates a very successful CBI programme and is seen as the top standard in the industry,” says Willis. “Turkey’s programme is very popular; however it does not give you the same access to Europe as Malta.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>He adds: “Portugal’s Golden Visa is a residence programme but it has significant processing delays. It is attractive as the day count requirement is low (an average of seven days per year for five years) and there is a clear path to citizenship, as long as you learn some basic Portuguese.”</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2-3-1024x568.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-80162" width="768" height="426" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2-3-1024x568.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2-3-505x280.jpg 505w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2-3-768x426.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2-3-1536x852.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2-3-2048x1136.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2-3-200x111.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2-3-800x444.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Almost a dozen European Union countries have some form of residency or citizenship- by-investment scheme. In most cases, those setting their sights on a European home base or a passport will need to purchase property, public debt or investment bonds, or make a capital transfer. Certain countries like Switzerland and Austria require the investment to create jobs. Within Europe, acquiring permanent residency or citizenship in a country usually necessitates the investor living there.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Costs of residency</h3>



<p>The amount of money needed to invest can vary, with EU Golden Visa programmes ranging from a minimum of €250,000 to €2 million depending on the type of purchase. Usually there are strict eligibility criteria for the visa or passport, including proof of ownership of investment money, the ability to sustain yourself and family members for the period you want to stay in the EU, and no criminal record.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>Concerns have been mooted about these schemes. The European Commission recently voiced fears that obtaining citizenship in a European country, and by default visa-free access throughout the EU, could pose a security risk and opined that it should not be something that is brought and sold. Other bodies spotlight the danger that they could become vehicles for money laundering. The Greek Prime Minister announced that the minimum investment needed for its Golden Visa Program would increase from €250,000 to €500,000 in some parts of the country in order to “increase the affordability of real estate for Greeks”.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Domicile diversification</h3>



<p>Nevertheless, there has been significant and ongoing growth in the demand for residence and citizenship by investment overseas over the past few years. As Dominic Volek, Group Head of Private Clients at Henley &amp; Partners, notes, “The appeal of investment migration for affluent families is truly universal due to its many benefits, ranging from domicile diversification to global mobility enhancement, to accessing world-class education and healthcare, to having a plan B in times of turmoil.”</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3-3-1024x622.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-80163" width="768" height="467" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3-3-1024x622.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3-3-461x280.jpg 461w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3-3-768x467.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3-3-1536x933.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3-3-2048x1244.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3-3-200x122.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3-3-800x486.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Ultimately, having the right combination of residency and citizenship rights will afford greater access to the global economy and boost one’s economic opportunities. Henley &amp; Partners has a tool that analyses passports to determine what share of the world’s GDP is accessible visa-free to those that hold them. Japan tops many rankings as having the most powerful passport.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Combination look</h3>



<p>Many HNWI are attracted by the freedom inherent in possessing multiple residency and citizenship options. Willis insists: “The more options you have, the better prepared you will be. We see many applicants doing a ‘combo’ of residence and citizenship. They like the speed of getting economic citizenship in the Caribbean and also have a long-term strategy for citizenship in Europe or North America.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>“If you acquire citizenship in Malta, for example, you benefit from settlement rights in all of the European Union member states. As such, you wouldn’t need to apply to another European country as you are already covered.”</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/4-1-1024x622.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-80164" width="768" height="467" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/4-1-1024x622.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/4-1-461x280.jpg 461w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/4-1-768x467.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/4-1-1536x933.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/4-1-2048x1244.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/4-1-200x122.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/4-1-800x486.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>He adds: “Some people choose to renounce their citizenship and need to have an alternative in place, which could be from the Caribbean or Malta.”</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>Despite the complexities involved in maintaining in a diversified approach, Willis is adamant this is the best policy, as long as care is taken to meet the different residency requirements of each location, especially if the intention is to graduate to citizenship. It is not necessary to obtain banks accounts in many of these jurisdictions, though “most applicants will establish some links to their new country of residence and/or citizenship”.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Cayman choice</h3>



<p>Daniel Altneu, Partner at global offshore legal firm Bedell Cristin, helps interested parties apply for the Cayman Islands’ permanent residency by investment programme. “[Successful applicants] only need to reside in Cayman for a minimum of one day per calendar year, so the residence requirements are extremely low,” he says.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>Applicants need to invest a minimum sum of CI$2 million (US$2.44 million) in developed real estate to qualify for Certificates of Permanent Residence for themselves and any family members, and Altneu notes there is a reasonable degree of flexibility as to what property they wish to purchase. The scheme gives them and their spouse lifetime residency in Cayman and the ability to work there.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory, and thus offers a potential route to another, much larger sought-after jurisdiction. However, as Altneu points out, “Should the holder and any family members wish to progress to Cayman Islands and British citizenship, the annual residence requirements are greater.”</p>


Passport To Success: Gain the ultimate global lifestyle with passports of your choice


<p>Global sugar prices recently hit a 12-year high and cocoa futures spiked to levels not seen in 40 years. These are essential ingredients for chocolate and many manufacturers across the globe are voicing concerns about prices and supply constraints as climate change alters weather patterns.</p>



<div style="height:14px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>Cocoa futures are believed to have soared due to fears of a “mediocre harvest”, according to Yves Brahima Koné, head of the Coffee and Cocoa Council in the Ivory Coast, who cited too much rain and little sunshine. Yields of coffee have also been affected by erratic weather.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cacao-Field-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-78451" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cacao-Field-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cacao-Field-373x280.jpg 373w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cacao-Field-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cacao-Field-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cacao-Field-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cacao-Field-200x150.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cacao-Field-800x600.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Some chocolate manufacturers are so alarmed by the hikes in sugar and cocoa prices that they have been literally “praying for prices to drop all year”, the Financial Times reports. Nestle reportedly might pass on additional costs to the consumer on a selective basis for their chocolate and coffee products as input cost inflation continues to bite.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Weathering the storm</h3>



<p>Professor Huw Dixon, an economist at Cardiff Business School, believes the cause of high sugar prices is primarily a short-term phenomenon driven by weather – in particular less rain in East Asia and India affecting sugar cane, combined with too much winter rain in Europe dampening beet. He believes the prices of these input commodities should even out, stating: “They may rise in the short run, but if weather conditions are more normal in the next harvest cycle they should return to more usual levels.”</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/close-up-hand-old-man-picking-coffee-from-a-coffee-plantation-in-south-america-generative-ai-free-photo-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-78455" width="768" height="512" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/close-up-hand-old-man-picking-coffee-from-a-coffee-plantation-in-south-america-generative-ai-free-photo-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/close-up-hand-old-man-picking-coffee-from-a-coffee-plantation-in-south-america-generative-ai-free-photo-420x280.jpeg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/close-up-hand-old-man-picking-coffee-from-a-coffee-plantation-in-south-america-generative-ai-free-photo-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/close-up-hand-old-man-picking-coffee-from-a-coffee-plantation-in-south-america-generative-ai-free-photo-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/close-up-hand-old-man-picking-coffee-from-a-coffee-plantation-in-south-america-generative-ai-free-photo-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/close-up-hand-old-man-picking-coffee-from-a-coffee-plantation-in-south-america-generative-ai-free-photo-200x133.jpeg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/close-up-hand-old-man-picking-coffee-from-a-coffee-plantation-in-south-america-generative-ai-free-photo-800x533.jpeg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Despite this optimism, the more long-term effects of climate change on yields of sugar and cocoa are less certain. West Africa is by far the biggest producer of the world’s cacao beans, which can only be grown in areas with the specific climatic conditions of good moisture levels and year- round high temperatures. The beans grow best in rainforests and within 10 degrees of the equator.</p>



<p>Academic research has not painted a clear picture cocerning long-term change in rain patterns, but worrying predictions abound, including that about half the cocoa belt in Africa will be unproductive by 2050 due to the effects of climate change.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Chocolatiers feel the pinch</h3>



<p>In Hong Kong there are numerous specialist bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturers who are concerned about long-term supply and pricing considerations. Local producer Chocobien makes luxury chocolate using raw cacao beans and cane sugar, including the premium line of Kusa from Pure Nacional cacao grown above an altitude of 3,500 feet in Peru. A tempering and moulding process creates the aged chocolate bar.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>According to Chocobien Chocolatier founder Arron Liu, the company has been confronting spikes in input prices of commodities in recent years. “The price of raw cacao beans and cane sugar has been increasing about five to six percent every year,” he says. “This has increased the production cost of our products.”</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/0099_crystalcacao_edit-1024x778.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-78450" width="768" height="584" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/0099_crystalcacao_edit-1024x778.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/0099_crystalcacao_edit-369x280.jpg 369w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/0099_crystalcacao_edit-768x584.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/0099_crystalcacao_edit-1536x1167.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/0099_crystalcacao_edit-2048x1556.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/0099_crystalcacao_edit-200x152.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/0099_crystalcacao_edit-800x608.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Despite surging costs, Chocobien has refrained from passing on increased costs to the consumer in a bid to retain its customer base. The retail price remains at the same level as 2020. “This means we are forced to reduce the balance on our net profit,” he explains.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Climate change wreaking havoc</h3>



<p>However, Liu worries about the long-term consequences of global warming hitting suppliers and their ability to produce the all-important commodities of sugar and cocoa. “As global warming continues, its influence on the growth of the cacao tree and sugarcane will continue and get worse, which will be reflected in the price as the result,” he says.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cocoa-beans.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-78457" width="810" height="540" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cocoa-beans.jpg 810w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cocoa-beans-420x280.jpg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cocoa-beans-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cocoa-beans-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cocoa-beans-800x533.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px" /></figure></div>


<p>He regularly receives updated supply information from their cacao farmers, with reports indicating a reduction in cacao beans every year due to too much heavy rain or drought caused by high temperatures. He believes these changing weather patterns are likely due to global warming or climate change, and fears for the impact on their suppliers and their families.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>As to whether these developments will affect the range and sizes of his products, Liu says: “At the moment, it has increased our cost of production, but it might affect our business development in the long term, such as decisions on price range, a more limited scale of production and the ability to compete with other commercial products.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Growing shift to Asia</h3>



<p>Gavin Chan of Gamma Craft Chocolate notes the company has experienced a shortage in certain specific cacao varieties due to heavy rainfall in Central America – for instance, they were forced to stop selling one of their products for almost a year.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>He fears global warming could affect the quality of cacao and production size in the traditional growing countries. Alternative sources from newly emerging countries are a possibility, however. “Some new cacao-producing countries like Taiwan, China and Thailand may benefit since the micro-climate may change there, making it possible to grow better quality cacao in regions that we have never imagined,” he opines.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/shutterstock_631724519-2400x1700-1-1024x725.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-78465" width="768" height="544" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/shutterstock_631724519-2400x1700-1-1024x725.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/shutterstock_631724519-2400x1700-1-395x280.jpg 395w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/shutterstock_631724519-2400x1700-1-768x544.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/shutterstock_631724519-2400x1700-1-1536x1088.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/shutterstock_631724519-2400x1700-1-2048x1451.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/shutterstock_631724519-2400x1700-1-200x142.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/shutterstock_631724519-2400x1700-1-800x567.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Another local chocolatier, JOL Cacao, has experienced cost pressures due to price hikes in logistics. It makes bean-to-bar chocolate from Fairtrade-sourced cacao beans and cane and coconut sugar as well as chocolate flavoured with coffee beans. They fear climate change will also limit the harvest of cacao beans in the future, eventually leading to price increases. “I am afraid that there will be impact on the quality as well,” says a company spokesperson.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Lower yields, less land</h3>



<p>Dr Nick Girkin, senior lecturer in plant soil systems at Cranfield University in the UK, says commodity prices are often affected by adverse weather conditions, which are exacerbated by climate change. “Longer-term climate impacts will result in lower yields and increasing costs, resulting in higher commodity prices,” he says, adding that instability in pricing in the longer term is likely.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/pexels-pixabay-50707-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-78461" width="768" height="511" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/pexels-pixabay-50707-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/pexels-pixabay-50707-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/pexels-pixabay-50707-768x511.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/pexels-pixabay-50707-1536x1021.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/pexels-pixabay-50707-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/pexels-pixabay-50707-800x532.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/pexels-pixabay-50707.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>His examination of evidence on how climate change will impact the availability of land suitable for coffee cultivation suggests the decrease in area of production is country-specific, but can range from 11% to 60% in some countries. The coffee trade is dominated by Arabica and Robusta and periods of prolonged drought are problematic for the development of flower buds, as are temperatures outside the optimal ranges. “Indirect effects such as climate impacts on pollinators can further affect production,” he notes.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Sustainable solution?</h3>



<p>Girkin believes consumption patterns may change. “As climate change continues to adversely affect farmers (and consumers,) I would expect a growing demand for chocolate and coffee that is grown sustainably.”</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>He adds: “There are various potential environmental solutions that might have potential to build resilient coffee production and the production of other crops.” Pointing to regenerative farming, he notes the strides this has made in conserving water resources as well as minimising agrochemical inputs and reducing levels of soil disturbance.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/DSC06461-2-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-78458" width="768" height="512" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/DSC06461-2-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/DSC06461-2-420x280.jpeg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/DSC06461-2-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/DSC06461-2-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/DSC06461-2-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/DSC06461-2-200x133.jpeg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/DSC06461-2-800x533.jpeg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>A recent major survey covering 10,000 small- scale farmers in 18 countries by Solidaridad, an international civil society, highlighted climate change as farmers’ most significant concern.</p>


Chocolate High: Climate change threatens not just our daily sugar rush but farmers’ livelihoods and producers’ bottom lines


<p>Halle Bailey never anticipated that she would be called for the main role in Disney’s live-action musical adaptation of The Little Mermaid. She believed, Ariel, the Disney princess who gives up her voice and mermaid tail to be with a “spineless, savage, harpooning fish- eater” human – would not be played by an actress who looked like her, despite her obvious credentials. The 23-year-old popstar has been writing music since the age of eight, opened for Beyoncé in Europe at 16, and has five Grammy nominations.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>“I love that there’s so much Black diversity on screen now,” she says. “There was a time when we’d barely see locs – and now we have a Disney princess with them. It was super important for me to have my natural hair in this film. I’ve had my locs since I was five, so they’re a huge part of who I am. We need to be able to see ourselves, we need to be able to see our hair on big screens like this so that we know that it’s beautiful and more than acceptable.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Beyoncé protégé</h3>



<p>Before her successful Disney big-screen debut, Bailey was best known as one-half of the sisterly pop duo Chloe x Halle, whose first claim to fame was their YouTube cover of Beyoncé’s Pretty Hurts grabbing the attention of the music legend herself. The song changed the teenagers’ lives, propelling them to overnight prominence. They became the opening acts for both Beyoncé’s The Formation World Tour and Andra Day’s Cheers to the Fall Tour in 2016 and released popular EPs and albums including Uncovered, Sugar Symphony and The Kids Are Alright.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Halle-Bailey-Seaside_p-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-78140" width="614" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Halle-Bailey-Seaside_p-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Halle-Bailey-Seaside_p-224x280.jpg 224w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Halle-Bailey-Seaside_p-768x960.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Halle-Bailey-Seaside_p-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Halle-Bailey-Seaside_p-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Halle-Bailey-Seaside_p-200x250.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Halle-Bailey-Seaside_p-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Halle-Bailey-Seaside_p-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px" /></figure></div>


<p>Their musical style, which transcends genres, distinguishes Chloe x Halle, two years her senior, from other artists. “My sister and I would always play mermaid in the pool,” she recalls. “Our first mixtape was called The Two of Us – I think weput it out when I was 15–and on the cover,I’m wearing my favourite mermaid blanket; it’s like a mermaid tail. Looking back, I’m like, that’s so weird. In a way, it was a coincidence. But really, it was the universe or God [giving me] a hint.”</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Musical youth</h3>



<p>Born in Mableton, Georgia, Halle picked up the cello and violin at a very young age, and like her sister learned how to play the guitar by studying YouTube tutorials. Noticing their musical development, their father, Doug Bailey, became their full-time manager, arranging for the girls – the middle pair of four siblings – to perform in the Atlanta area.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>The family relocated to Los Angeles in late 2012 when Halle was 12. Two years later, Chloe x Halle signed with Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment management company and record label. By 2021, the sisters had released two albums and earned a slew of industry accolades.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-78136" width="614" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-224x280.jpg 224w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-768x960.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-200x250.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px" /></figure></div>


<p>“One major high would definitely be when my sister and I were nominated for Grammys,” she says. “We sang Where Is the Love by Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack, and that was actually the performance that got me noticed by Little Mermaid director Rob Marshall. It was confirmation for me that my own abilities and belief in myself [is enough]. I believed in myself for the first time.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Purple patch</h3>



<p>In addition, Bailey is a fantastic actress who made her screen debut in the 2006 romantic comedy Last Holiday. She then appeared in the 2012 films Let It Shine and Joyful Noise, and has played Skylar in the American TV sitcom Grown-ish. Completing a hat-trick of films this year is The Line, which premiered a few months before the Disney musical, and the much anticipated The Color Purple, based on the stage musical and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-758x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-78139" width="569" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-758x1024.jpg 758w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-207x280.jpg 207w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-768x1038.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-1136x1536.jpg 1136w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-1515x2048.jpg 1515w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-200x270.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-800x1081.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-scaled.jpg 1894w" sizes="(max-width: 569px) 100vw, 569px" /></figure></div>


<p>“I am so excited to be playing young Nettie in The Color Purple. This film has meant a lot to me for a very long time – it’s a Black family staple,” she says. “I also got a chance to write an original song for the film. It’s been really cool to incorporate my artistry into this new world of acting. I’m just so grateful to be a part of the film. I cannot wait for people to see it. I think they’ll love it.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Breaking the mould</h3>



<p>Early this year, when the first pictures of Bailey as Ariel appeared on social media, there was a definite shift toward a new normal that was felt all over the world. The internet was inundated with videos of young Black girls excitedly responding to an Ariel they could identify with. Disney broke the mould when choosing its lead actor, and The Little Mermaid delivered a plethora of surprises appropriate for the new decade. The movie – and Bailey – are taking the responsibility of its global impact seriously.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>She says: “My main goal has always been to stay true to myself. There’s so much more to being a young woman than this fairy-tale character. I think other people have a hard time separating who Halle is and who a princess is – and that’s natural when you’re a fan of an artist. But it’s a beautiful thing to be a layered individual and not fit into one certain image.”</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-78138" width="614" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-224x280.jpg 224w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-768x960.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-200x250.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px" /></figure></div>


<p>Bailey imagines herself working as a nurse, paediatrician or a kindergarten teacher if she had not broken into entertainment. As to whether she ever yearns for the realism seen outside the Hollywood bubble, she remarks: “It’s fun to think about, but honestly, no, because this has been my normal for so long.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Greater purpose</h3>



<p>Instead, she is careful not to let her work as an artist and entertainer distract from the purpose she would like to fulfil. “The awards and the accolades and the people complimenting, it’s all great, but what [am I] here for really?” she ponders. “What am I doing to give it back to God? What am I doing actively to be a better person every single day?”</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-78137" width="614" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-224x280.jpg 224w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-768x960.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-200x250.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px" /></figure></div>


<p>Arguably, her historic role as Ariel is indeed part of her larger purpose, and something she is – and should be – remarkably proud of. Some people believe that our fate is predetermined. Some people think we can control our own future. But for Halle Bailey, both these factors may have contributed to her extraordinary rise from child prodigy to bona fide Hollywood actress.</p>


The Mermaid’s Tale: Halle Bailey makes a splash in the groundbreaking role of Ariel – under the sea and above it


<p>The man, the myth, the misogynist – just three of the few words that best describe Pablo Picasso, one of the world’s most celebrated artists of modern times. The many sides of his life and work come under the spotlight this year as institutions around the globe mark the 50th anniversary of the Spanish artist’s death. </p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>Given that he was originally thought to have stolen the Mona Lisa, it’s safe to assume that the co-founder of Cubism endured early troughs among the peaks of his path to fame. Improbable though it may sound, Picasso was a prime suspect when Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece vanished from the Louvre in 1911. The picture was later found to have been stolen by a former museum employee, but not before Picasso was cast in a doubtful light. It was a low point in what would become a dazzling, high-profile career. </p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-dans-un-fauteuil-畢加索《坐椅女子》_p-814x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77404" width="611" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-dans-un-fauteuil-畢加索《坐椅女子》_p-814x1024.jpg 814w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-dans-un-fauteuil-畢加索《坐椅女子》_p-223x280.jpg 223w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-dans-un-fauteuil-畢加索《坐椅女子》_p-768x966.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-dans-un-fauteuil-畢加索《坐椅女子》_p-1221x1536.jpg 1221w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-dans-un-fauteuil-畢加索《坐椅女子》_p-1628x2048.jpg 1628w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-dans-un-fauteuil-畢加索《坐椅女子》_p-200x252.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-dans-un-fauteuil-畢加索《坐椅女子》_p-800x1006.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-dans-un-fauteuil-畢加索《坐椅女子》_p-scaled.jpg 2035w" sizes="(max-width: 611px) 100vw, 611px" /></figure></div>


<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>Ever prolific, Picasso created tens of thousands of works of art, experimented with a bewildering variety of styles, and never stopped innovating. His legacy is still exciting and inspiring to artists and art enthusiasts everywhere, and tributes abound half a century after his passing. </p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>The governments of Spain and France, where he spent most of his adult life, have partnered for Célébration Picasso 1973-2023, which embraces some 50 exhibitions and events in Europe and North America. Hong Kong joined in the remembrance by showing a glistening selection of his masterpieces in an intriguing medium.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/3_p-866x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77396" width="650" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/3_p-866x1024.jpg 866w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/3_p-237x280.jpg 237w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/3_p-768x908.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/3_p-1299x1536.jpg 1299w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/3_p-200x237.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/3_p-800x946.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/3_p.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px" /></figure></div>


<p>Sotheby’s, which has championed some of the happenings in this timely retrospective of his work and life, highlights Picasso’s formidable influence as the resident artist of the 20th century – an idiosyncratic eye refracting the turbulence, traumas, dreams and visions of his times into stunning visual statements that challenged convention and still pulsate with energy today.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>Naturally, the Musée National Picasso-Paris is central to the year-long salute; it has already held one tribute show masterminded by British designer Paul Smith, while another from French conceptual artist Sophie Calle begins in October. It also opens a Centre for Picasso Studies in the prestigious and newly renovated quarters of Hôtel de Rohan, a short walk from the museum’s equally storied building in the Marais district. This unique resource for the artist and his subjects combines documentation, a library and archives around a research centre and a digital gateway.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Period pieces</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/6_p-1024x458.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77400" width="768" height="344" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/6_p-1024x458.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/6_p-626x280.jpg 626w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/6_p-768x343.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/6_p-1536x687.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/6_p-2048x915.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/6_p-200x89.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/6_p-800x358.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>When Picasso passed away in 1973, at the age of 91, it was discovered that he kept pieces from all his periods in his 78-year oeuvre. It took seven years to complete an inventory of his works in all media, and many held by his family landed in the hands of the French authorities as payment for inheritance taxes. It was this initial body of work that enabled the Musée National Picasso-Paris to open its doors nearly 40 years ago.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-assise-a-la-galette-des-rois_p-753x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77403" width="565" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-assise-a-la-galette-des-rois_p-753x1024.jpg 753w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-assise-a-la-galette-des-rois_p-206x280.jpg 206w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-assise-a-la-galette-des-rois_p-768x1044.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-assise-a-la-galette-des-rois_p-1130x1536.jpg 1130w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-assise-a-la-galette-des-rois_p-1507x2048.jpg 1507w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-assise-a-la-galette-des-rois_p-200x272.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-assise-a-la-galette-des-rois_p-800x1087.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-assise-a-la-galette-des-rois_p-scaled.jpg 1883w" sizes="(max-width: 565px) 100vw, 565px" /></figure></div>


<p>Olivier Widmaier Picasso, the artist’s grandson, gathered exclusive testimonies, historical records and personal photos from this time to make a new documentary entitled Picasso, The Legacy. Sponsored by Sotheby’s, it is an intimate exposure of the man and the splendour of his artistry.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Bohemian romance</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-Accroupie_p-806x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77402" width="605" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-Accroupie_p-806x1024.jpg 806w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-Accroupie_p-221x280.jpg 221w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-Accroupie_p-768x975.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-Accroupie_p-1210x1536.jpg 1210w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-Accroupie_p-1613x2048.jpg 1613w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-Accroupie_p-200x254.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-Accroupie_p-800x1016.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEW-Pablo-Picasso-Femme-Accroupie_p-scaled.jpg 2016w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /></figure></div>


<p>Another way to glean more about the artist’s life is through ‘Picasso’s Montmartre with Le Meurice, Celebrating 50 Years’, an experience that combines an overnight stay at the grand hotel in Paris with a guided walking tour that propels art enthusiasts back in time to the hedonistic, bohemian era of the Belle Époque. When Pablo Picasso married Russian ballerina and early muse Olga Khokhlova in 1918, the wedding reception was held at the hotel and it was the season’s biggest affair.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Femme-Assise_p-811x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77401" width="608" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Femme-Assise_p-811x1024.jpg 811w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Femme-Assise_p-222x280.jpg 222w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Femme-Assise_p-768x969.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Femme-Assise_p-1217x1536.jpg 1217w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Femme-Assise_p-1622x2048.jpg 1622w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Femme-Assise_p-200x252.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Femme-Assise_p-800x1010.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Femme-Assise_p-scaled.jpg 2028w" sizes="(max-width: 608px) 100vw, 608px" /></figure></div>


<p>Le Meurice’s expert guide succeeds in opening minds to the romance and derring-do of the youthful non-conformist in the early 1900s. When he first arrived in Paris, Picasso was regarded with suspicion as a foreigner and watched by the French police for his supposed anarchist leanings. During the walk, anecdotes are shared and landmarks are highlighted while tracing his ootsteps through the cobblestone alleyways of Montmartre where he once lived and painted.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Changing with the ages</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/5.鬥牛-_Bullfight_p-1024x745.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77399" width="768" height="559" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/5.鬥牛-_Bullfight_p-1024x745.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/5.鬥牛-_Bullfight_p-385x280.jpg 385w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/5.鬥牛-_Bullfight_p-768x559.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/5.鬥牛-_Bullfight_p-1536x1118.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/5.鬥牛-_Bullfight_p-2048x1490.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/5.鬥牛-_Bullfight_p-200x146.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/5.鬥牛-_Bullfight_p-800x582.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>More than five decades later, in 1961, Picasso married Jacqueline Roque, the face that launched more than 400 portraits completed in the dozen years before his death. Museum Casa Natal Picasso in Málaga, Spain – the artist’s hometown – stages The Ages of Pablo, a chronological and stylistic overview of works from his formative years to the time spent with his second wife.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4.鴿子靜物畫_Still-life-with-pigeon_p-1024x842.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77398" width="768" height="632" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4.鴿子靜物畫_Still-life-with-pigeon_p-1024x842.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4.鴿子靜物畫_Still-life-with-pigeon_p-341x280.jpg 341w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4.鴿子靜物畫_Still-life-with-pigeon_p-768x631.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4.鴿子靜物畫_Still-life-with-pigeon_p-1536x1263.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4.鴿子靜物畫_Still-life-with-pigeon_p-2048x1684.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4.鴿子靜物畫_Still-life-with-pigeon_p-200x164.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4.鴿子靜物畫_Still-life-with-pigeon_p-800x658.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Picasso is revealed through his paintings, sketches, sculptures, ceramics and photographs, all of which have enduring value. Demonstrating his dynamic ability to convey life and emotion, the exhibition is divided into eight sections corresponding to the major phases of his art, including ‘Blue and Pink’, ‘Cubism’, ‘Classicism’, ‘Surrealism’, ‘Wartime’ and ‘The Joy of Living’.</p>



<div style="height:0px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Glass act</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4_p-809x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77397" width="607" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4_p-809x1024.jpg 809w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4_p-221x280.jpg 221w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4_p-768x972.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4_p-1213x1536.jpg 1213w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4_p-200x253.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4_p-800x1013.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4_p.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 607px) 100vw, 607px" /></figure></div>


<p>Here at home, Hong Kongers were able to join the momentous commemoration as a summer exhibition, Pablo Picasso: Paintings in Glass, threw light on some of his most-known painterly compositions. A collaboration between the University Museum and Art Gallery of the University of Hong Kong and the French May Arts Festival, it paid tribute not only to the iconic artist but also to the art form of gemmail.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>A type of stained-glass mosaic developed by French painter Jean Crotti and perfected in the workshop of Roger Malherbe-Navarre, gemmail involves the expert assembly and melting of meticulously chosen pieces of glass. When Picasso first witnessed the gemmistes’ endeavour in 1954, he exclaimed, “A new art is born!” Enthused, he proceeded to layer shards of glass into graphical representations of more than 50 of his existing paintings.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1.瑪麗・泰瑞莎・華特肖像_Portrait-of-Marie-Therese-Walter_p-845x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77394" width="634" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1.瑪麗・泰瑞莎・華特肖像_Portrait-of-Marie-Therese-Walter_p-845x1024.jpg 845w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1.瑪麗・泰瑞莎・華特肖像_Portrait-of-Marie-Therese-Walter_p-231x280.jpg 231w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1.瑪麗・泰瑞莎・華特肖像_Portrait-of-Marie-Therese-Walter_p-768x931.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1.瑪麗・泰瑞莎・華特肖像_Portrait-of-Marie-Therese-Walter_p-1267x1536.jpg 1267w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1.瑪麗・泰瑞莎・華特肖像_Portrait-of-Marie-Therese-Walter_p-1690x2048.jpg 1690w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1.瑪麗・泰瑞莎・華特肖像_Portrait-of-Marie-Therese-Walter_p-200x242.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1.瑪麗・泰瑞莎・華特肖像_Portrait-of-Marie-Therese-Walter_p-800x970.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 634px) 100vw, 634px" /></figure></div>


<p>The 50th anniversary of Picasso’s passing is, above all, a tremendous opportunity to honour his creative legacy while also challenging key events in his life, particularly his relationships with women who became his muses and lovers. “People were happy to be consumed by him,” his daughter Paloma Picasso, the jewellery designer, has said. “They thought it was a privilege. If you get too close to the Sun, it burns you. But the Sun can’t help being the Sun.” As evidenced by many of his life documentations, Picasso cared primarily for his creations, but what creations they were!</p>



<div style="height:75px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>Photos: University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong</p>


Strokes Of Genius: 50 years after his passing, the art world muses on Picasso’s magic and missteps

culture-cryptocurrency-nft-blockchain--might-are-nfts-investment-hongkong-600x337

NFTs: Future of investment or another bubble waiting to burst?

<p>Imagine missing out on earning a cool US$250 million. That’s the nightmare that actor Matt Damon recently revealed to be his biggest career regret. The sizeable amount would have been his payout had he accepted the starring role in director James Cameron’s smash sci-fi hit, <em>Avatar</em> (2009), which held the record for being the highest-grossing film of all time for nearly a decade until it was dethroned by <em>Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame</em> earlier this year.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-49493" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-is-an-award-winning-actor.jpg" alt="Matt Damon is an award-winning actor" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-is-an-award-winning-actor.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-is-an-award-winning-actor-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-is-an-award-winning-actor-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-is-an-award-winning-actor-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-is-an-award-winning-actor-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /></p>
<p>Speaking on this missed opportunity, Damon said: “Jim Cameron offered me <em>Avatar</em>. And when he offered it to me, he goes, ‘Now, listen. I don’t need anybody. I don’t need a name for this, a named actor. If you don’t take this, I’m going to find an unknown actor and give it to him, because the movie doesn’t really need you. But if you take the part, I’ll give you 10 percent&#8230;’”</p>
<p>Given that <em>Avatar</em> would go on to rake in a staggering US$2.7 billion, that 10 percent would have equated to a quarter of a billion dollars in the actor’s pocket. As fate would have it, though, he ultimately turned down this golden goose opportunity due to scheduling conflicts. However, massive payday aside, he had a bigger regret: “In having to say no, I was probably passing on the chance to ever work with him. So that sucked and that’s still brutal.”</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-49496" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-Hollywood-leading-man.jpg" alt="Matt Damon, Hollywood leading man" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-Hollywood-leading-man.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-Hollywood-leading-man-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-Hollywood-leading-man-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-Hollywood-leading-man-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-Hollywood-leading-man-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-Hollywood-leading-man-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-Hollywood-leading-man-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p>While he may have missed out on this hugely-lucrative role, that’s not to say that Matt Damon is destitute by a long shot. In fact, as of 2019, his current wealth is valued at a respectable US$160 million, according to Forbes, which ranks him as one of Tinseltown’s highest-earning leading men. What’s more, the experienced 49-year-old thespian has enjoyed what few other of his ilk have managed – the perfect balancing act between Hollywood longevity and personal happiness.</p>
<p>But it seems big screen success was always in the cards for him. Matthew Paige Damon – as his birth certificate reads – was born on 8 October 1970 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as the second son of Kent Telfer Damon, a stockbroker, and Nancy Carlsson-Paige, a professor of early childhood education. With his parents divorcing when he was just two and his subsequent inability to embrace his mother’s “by the book” child-rearing approach, the lonely youth saw acting as his sole reprieve. It was through his high school theatre productions that Damon finally found his true calling, while also meeting fellow thespian and life-long friend Ben Affleck in the process.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-49490" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Good-Will-Hunting.jpg" alt="Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Good-Will-Hunting.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Good-Will-Hunting-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Good-Will-Hunting-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Good-Will-Hunting-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Good-Will-Hunting-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Good-Will-Hunting-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Good-Will-Hunting-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p>Soon thereafter, his scholastic aptitude saw him enroll at the prestigious Harvard University where, during his freshman year, the aspiring actor made his big screen debut with a bit part in the 1988 rom-com <em>Mystic Pizza</em>. When he was subsequently cast as Lieutenant Britton Davis in the 1993 Western <em>Geronimo: An American Legend</em>, Damon chose to drop out of university to pursue the role, deeming it a career-maker. Sadly, the film flopped at the box office, and it wasn’t until 1997 that he finally caught the attention of the world’s cinemagoers.</p>
<p>That was the year that <em>Good Will Hunting</em> – penned by Matt Damon and his childhood pal Affleck – hit the silver screen. The tale, which follows the journey of an MIT janitor-cum-mathematics savant (Damon) as he finds his place in the world, was to be his first taste of cinematic success, with the then-27-year-old receiving his first nominations for Best Actor, while also winning the accolades for Best Original Screenplay at both the Academy Awards and Golden Globes that year.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-49491" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Saving-Private-Ryan.jpg" alt="Matt Damon in Saving Private Ryan" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Saving-Private-Ryan.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Saving-Private-Ryan-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Saving-Private-Ryan-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Saving-Private-Ryan-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Saving-Private-Ryan-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /></p>
<p>After that, his star was unquestionably on the rise, as he set about solidifying his reputation as a true Hollywood A-lister through a series of critically-acclaimed performances such as the eponymous protagonist in <em>Saving Private Ryan</em> (1998), a fallen angel in <em>Dogma</em> (1999) and the antihero in <em>The Talented Mr Ripley</em> (1999).</p>
<p>It was during the following decade, though, that he truly entered the big league, thanks largely to his participation in several big budget franchises. His first franchise role was in the heist movie, <em>Ocean’s Eleven</em> (2001), where he starred alongside such Hollywood luminaries as Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Andy Garcia. The movie’s blend of fast-paced action and charismatic dialogue was such a success that it spawned three more sequels.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-49494" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-on-the-set-of-The-Martian.jpg" alt="Matt Damon on the set of The Martian" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-on-the-set-of-The-Martian.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-on-the-set-of-The-Martian-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-on-the-set-of-The-Martian-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-on-the-set-of-The-Martian-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-on-the-set-of-The-Martian-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-on-the-set-of-The-Martian-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-on-the-set-of-The-Martian-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p>But it was another franchise-starter that transformed the actor into a bona fide action star – <em>The Bourne Identity</em> (2001), the spy action film that saw Damon take on the mantle of Jason Bourne, a superspy suffering from amnesia who has to avoid assassins on his journey to regaining his identity. Another box-office hit, it spawned four sequels that collectively grossed US$1.6 billion worldwide.</p>
<p>Soon thereafter, following a series of high-profile romances with actresses like Minnie Driver, Winona Ryder and Rhona Mitra, Matt Damon finally found true love away from the limelight with Luciana Barroso, a bartender he had met while filming Stuck on You in Miami in 2003. The couple wed in 2005, and are now the proud parents of four daughters, including Barroso’s child from a previous relationship.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-49495" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-with-his-wife-Luciana-Barroso.jpg" alt="Matt Damon with his wife, Luciana Barroso" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-with-his-wife-Luciana-Barroso.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-with-his-wife-Luciana-Barroso-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-with-his-wife-Luciana-Barroso-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-with-his-wife-Luciana-Barroso-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-with-his-wife-Luciana-Barroso-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-with-his-wife-Luciana-Barroso-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-with-his-wife-Luciana-Barroso-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p>With the new insight gained from becoming a father, the actor discovered a passion for humanitarian work, particularly in the field of clean water initiatives. To combat this crisis, Damon co-founded H20 Africa Foundation, an NGO dedicated to providing clean water to the needy in Africa. The organisation eventually merged with another charitable body, WaterPartners, to form what is now known as Water.org in 2009, whose mission statement is to “pioneer market-driven financial solutions to end the global water crisis”. The big-hearted actor is also a keen supporter of other causes, including combating AIDS, poverty and war atrocities through a number of other organisations.</p>
<p>But that’s not to say that he’s allowed his onscreen career to languish. In the last decade alone, he’s garnered praise for such diverse roles as that of South African rugby team captain Francois Pienaar in 2009’s <em>Invictus</em> (which saw him nominated for Best Supporting Actor at both the Golden Globes and the Oscars), a Texas Ranger in the Coen Brothers’ 2010 Western <em>True Grit</em>, and a castaway astronaut in not one, but two sci-fi hits – <em>Interstellar</em> (2014) and <em>The Martian</em> (2015).</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-49492" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-The-Martian.jpg" alt="Matt Damon in The Martian" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-The-Martian.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-The-Martian-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-The-Martian-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-The-Martian-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-The-Martian-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-The-Martian-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-The-Martian-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p>Next up, though, Damon will have his feet back on terra firma, appearing in the historic biopic <em>Ford v Ferrari</em> in the role of Carroll Shelby, the famed US car designer who, together with Henry Ford II of Ford Motors, aims for an underdog victory against Italian motoring marque Scuderia Ferrari at the prestigious Le Mans race.</p>
<p>After that, the A-lister looks set to reunite with his old pal Affleck to co-write a script 22 years after their previous effort, the afore-mentioned Good Will Hunting, catapulted both actors to superstardom. Their upcoming collaboration with producer-director Ridley Scott and Oscar-nominated writer-director Nicole Holofcener, tentatively titled <em>The Last Duel</em>, will see Damon travel not to the stars, but to the distant past this time – the 14th century to be exact – in a story of a ‘duel to end all duels’ between a knight and a courtier.</p>
<p>While there’s little concrete information on that particular project, the all-star power behind it suggests that something truly special could be in the making – one that will allow audiences worldwide to remember just what makes Matt Damon such a Bourne star.</p>
<p><em>Text: Tenzing Thondup<br />
Photos: AFP</em></p>


High Bourne: Matt Damon has taken his acting career to stellar heights

<p>Although gifted with a Hawaiian first name that loosely&nbsp;translates to “cool wind over the mountain”, life has been&nbsp;far from a breeze for Reeves, who turns 55 this September.&nbsp;His English showgirl-turned-costume-designer mother&nbsp;split from his Asian-American geologist father when he&nbsp;was just three years old, with Reeves Senior permanently exiting the picture 10 years later. At the age of 17, following&nbsp;a nomadic childhood and an early adolescence that saw him&nbsp;live as far afield as Sydney, New York and Toronto, he headed&nbsp;off to Hollywood with very little to lose. By then, much to the&nbsp;disappointment of the maternal grandparents who had largely&nbsp;brought him up, he had already been expelled from high school.&nbsp;To this day, he is yet to officially finish school.</p>
<p class="p1">Despite working on his thespianic&nbsp;credentials since the age of nine, having appeared&nbsp;in countless theatrical productions, he didn’t, however,&nbsp;register on the Hollywood star Richter scale&nbsp;until 1989, when he played the eponymous <em>Ted&nbsp;in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure</em>, a time travel&nbsp;comedy that remains a cult favourite and which,&nbsp;in 1991, gave rise to its own, equally lauded&nbsp;sequel, <em>Bill and&nbsp;Ted’s Bogus Journey</em>.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-46968" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves-3.jpg" alt="keanu reeves" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves-3.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves-3-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves-3-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves-3-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves-3-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /></p>
<p class="p1">It was while riding high as MTV’s 1993 Most&nbsp;Desirable Man that tragedy once again crossed his path,&nbsp;with his close pal and former co-star River Phoenix dying of&nbsp;an overdose at just 23. Clearly still feeling the shock waves&nbsp;more than 20 years later, Reeves told one interviewer in&nbsp;2014: “River was a remarkable human being and actor. We&nbsp;got along very well and I miss him. I think of him often.”</p>
<p>To many, it seemed that Reeves threw himself into a&nbsp;series of even bigger projects in the wake of the tragedy,&nbsp;landing his most high-profile role to date in 1994’s&nbsp;action-drama <em>Speed</em>, however, just three year later he surprised the studio he turned down the role for the films sequel&nbsp;<em>Speed 2</em>. This, though, would come to be seen as a signature&nbsp;move by Reeves, as he has, since then, frequently ducked&nbsp;big-buck offers in favour of playing roles he coveted or&nbsp;working with actors he admired – notably Al Pacino in <em>The&nbsp;Devil’s Advocate</em> and Gene Hackman in <em>The Replacements</em>.&nbsp;It also led to him to negotiate a highly-unusual profit sharing&nbsp;deal for <em>The Matrix</em> and its sequels, which saw&nbsp;him take a pay cut to ensure the franchise’s special&nbsp;effects and costume designs remained cutting-edge, and&nbsp;later donating US$75 million to be shared between the&nbsp;production team as a sign of his appreciation.</p>
<p><figure id="attachment_46970" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-46970" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-46970 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves5.jpg" alt="keanu reeves" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves5.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves5-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves5-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves5-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves5-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves5-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves5-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-46970" class="wp-caption-text">A young Keanu Reeves in <em>Bill &amp; Ted&#8217;s Excellent Adventure</em></figcaption></figure></p>
<p class="p1">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">While riding high on the acclaim occasioned by the&nbsp;first <em>Matrix</em> film, fate dealt Reeves another bitter blow&nbsp;when the daughter he was to have with Jennifer Syme, his&nbsp;production assistant girlfriend, was delivered stillborn.&nbsp;Not surprisingly, the subsequent grief put a huge strain on&nbsp;the couple’s relationship, which ultimately ended in Syme’s&nbsp;death two years later in a calamitous car accident. With&nbsp;blow piling on blow, that same year – 2001 – saw his half sister&nbsp;Kim diagnosed with leukemia, a condition that would&nbsp;take the best part of 10 years to overcome.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-46966" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves_2.jpg" alt="keanu reeves" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves_2.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves_2-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves_2-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves_2-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves_2-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /></p>
<p class="p2">Perhaps reflecting his own turmoil, the next decade&nbsp;saw Reeves increasingly drawn to playing complex, troubled men. In 2005, he took the title role in <em>Constantine</em>, an occult detective&nbsp;film based on DC Comics’ <em>Hellblazer</em> comic book series, while 2008&nbsp;saw him memorably play an alien messenger in a remake of <em>The Day&nbsp;the Earth Stood Still</em>, a ’50s cult favourite. Reeves’ most ubiquitous&nbsp;role in the opening decade of the 21st century, however, was arguably&nbsp;Sad Keanu, a paparazzi-snapped meme that caught the then-middle aged&nbsp;actor alone and forlorn on a park bench, with just a half-eaten&nbsp;sandwich for company.</p>
<p class="p1">Then came 2013, the year Reeves took on the title role in <em>John&nbsp;Wick</em>, the film that arguably resurrected his career and saw him once&nbsp;again embrace the action hero mantle he had once so memorably&nbsp;discarded. Bringing the reluctantly unretired assassin to the big screen&nbsp;proved a natural fit with the actor’s innate stoicism and fondness for&nbsp;wry humour, with the casting proving to be box office gold.</p>
<p><figure id="attachment_46969" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-46969" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-46969" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/keanu-reeves-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-46969" class="wp-caption-text">Keanu Reeves as iconic Matrix character Neo</figcaption></figure></p>
<p class="p1">In addition to his natural affinity for characters with a dark side,&nbsp;many have speculated that Reeves’ own personal tragedies gifted his&nbsp;depiction of Wick with unusual depth. Seemingly confirming this in&nbsp;a 2006 interview, he said: “Grief changes shape, but it never ends.&nbsp;People have a misconception that you can deal with it and, one day,&nbsp;say: ‘It’s gone, and I’m better’. They’re wrong. When the people you&nbsp;love are gone, you really are alone.”&nbsp;As to whether his renewed success has lightened his load at all,&nbsp;that will have to remain a matter of conjecture. He has, however,&nbsp;green-lit a return to two of his greatest hits, with <em>Bill and Ted 3</em>&nbsp;(apparently called <em>Bill and Ted Go to Hell</em>) already in production and&nbsp;rumours growing of a return of <em>The Matrix</em> sometime soon. And <em>Speed&nbsp;3</em>? Well, even for the rejuvenated Keanu Reeves, it’s safe to assume that&nbsp;some things are just beyond redemption…</p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Text:</strong> <a href="mailto:bailey@itotamedia.com">Bailey Atkinson</a><br />
<strong>Photos:</strong> AFP</p>
<p><em>For the full article, please find the latest issue of Gafencu’s print magazine or the PDF version on the Gafencu app. Download the app from the Google</em><em>&nbsp;</em><em><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gafencu.android&amp;hl=en"><strong>Play Store</strong></a></em><em>&nbsp;</em><em>or Apple</em><em>&nbsp;</em><em><strong><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gafencu/id541555130?mt=8">App Store</a>.</strong></em></p>


Tag: feature