Discovering US-based artist Linh Do's Instagram page @whiskyanorach was like quaffing a cask-strength Islay after sipping an Old Fashioned. Her arresting, charming narrative subverts leather-chaired clichés by exalting whisky's atypical alchemy. We chatted. A lot. This is the edited version.
Dram The Man (DTM): Where do you work and what do you do?
Linh Do (LD): I work in my room and sew, draw or paint things that are inspired by whisky.
DTM: What's the back-story? How did you get into whisky?
LD: I woke up one morning and the first thing that came to mind was: "Hey! You should use whisky as a muse to write poetry." At the time I wasn't aware of Robbie Burns or whisky being associated with poetry. Two days later I went to a bar and told the bartender about my project. He told me about the different Scotch regions and I was hooked. I like approaching things from a pedagogical viewpoint. I got into it pretty full-on.
DTM: Tell me about your process.
LD: Every process is different. When I first made whisky dresses - roughly five years ago - I used lots of upholstery fabric because it was thick. It was a way for me to protect my delicate heart because I cared what people thought about me. Over time I learnt to be more comfortable with myself, so the fabrics I work with now have more ease and detail.
The distillery drawings - my ink work - are more clinical. They're black and white; it's my way of trying to be logical and tap into the idea of exploring binary juxtapositions. I like how black interacts with white separately, and blurred together they represent the human condition: suggesting that there's no such thing as a simple 'black and white' answer.
At the same time the pieces are straightforward because they're distillery buildings. Painting, on the other hand, allows me to express myself through humour or create different styles of art.
DTM: How does whisky play out in your work?
LD: I have a curious mind. I love to research and meld things together. So for example, My Talisker/Alexander McQueen-inspired dress is a homage to the Isle of Skye, the Met Museum, Talisker, the documentary McQueen and Lee Alexander McQueen himself. I'm calling this series Butterflies and Ribbed Cages: An Exhibition of McQueen and Talisker Through the Lens of Synesthesia. I probably sound like a pretentious a**hole, but it's not meant that way.
DTM: You take quite a different angle. I mean we're talking more than just unusual food pairings here.
LD: In the same way glassware affects how whisky tastes I've always felt that interpreting and analysing whisky was like reading a poem. It's taking a hermeneutics perspective. So it's about applying that concept and wearing the garment in different ways, pairing it with specific soundtracks to McQueen's documentary, and how that affects my state of mind when I drink whisky.
DTM: You seem to invest a lot in your work. What's your intent?
LD: I work best independently. Some days it's frustrating and isolating, but on others I feel capable of creating something that can move the soul, that can force people to tap into pathos and feel with intensity. I want people to think of things they'd never thought about before.
DTM: Why so many mediums?
LD: This is going to sound very unladylike, but creating art (via writing, drawing, painting, sewing) is like an All You Can Eat Korean BBQ. Different cuts of meat represent different ideas and concepts, and I'm one hungry motherf***er who wants to consume everything.
DTM: Your writing is littered with references and observations uncommon in the whisky world. What kind of conversations and reactions do you get from it?
LD: I think there are only like five people who read my long, endless rambles. I understand Instagram is mainly for pictures and not about context, but I don't give a f***. I have to write. This is a form of self-expression. It's neat when people with the same sense of humour reach out. So, when we meet in person and have a whisky, it's like I've known them my whole life.
DTM: What was it like, as a woman, working in a whisky bar?
LD: It was a slow process for people to feel comfortable getting whisky advice from me. Part had to do with me lacking confidence and another was a lot of people thought I didn't 'look' like a whisky drinker. My former manager was an incredible boss. He always told people, "Linh knows more about whisky than I do. She's been to Scotland and worked at a distillery. You should talk to her." Eventually I got more comfortable, but it took a man to advocate for me.
DTM: It shouldn't be like that though.
LD: I've learnt recently that we all experience some kind of glass-ceiling feeling. I think the key to success is to keep going, to be flexible, to have compassion and understanding, because that's healthier than being angry and pissed off.
DTM: How do you enjoy whisky?
LD: I love drinking with people who have curious minds and can nerd-out on things in an intense manner. The way whiskies have offered a different perspective over the decades keeps me mentally focused. If it stayed the same I wouldn't be approaching it with a sense of 'alertness'. I've always loved what Ezra Pound said about "startling a dull reader into alertness". I think whisky does that.
DTM: Through all this, what's most important to you?
LD: Some people don't like my honesty, but it's important to stay true to myself. I feel strongly about speaking my mind. It has a lot to do with my parents escaping Vietnam during the war. Their desperation for freedom forced them to go to a new country. So, I don't take that lightly.
• To see more of Linh Do's work, visit Whisky Anorach on Etsy...