At the helm of the art collections is exceptional craftmanship, meticulous detailing and artisanal nuance. The spectacular hand-blown glasswork of Rick Eggert and duo Danielle Blade and Stephen Gartner, and the delicate mastery of ceramic art by Valeria Nascimento and Zemer Peled highlight the level of skill and technique displayed across the large art collections. Though there is a common thread – with some artists commissioned to create pieces across both ships – each narrative onboard is unique, ensuring that regular Seabourn guests can enjoy different, while equally enriching, art experiences.

ArtLink installed the work of Korean ceramic artist Yoo Eui Jeong, whose vases explore the theme of travel and cross-cultural pollination in two bespoke pieces for the Seabourn ships. Jeong uses timeless Korean vase-masking techniques to produce works that are a bricolage of cultural references: Western pop icons collide with traditional Asian design motifs to create one-of-a-kind vases that are displayed in the Lift Lobbies of the Encore and Ovation. Since collaborating with ArtLink, Jeong has become more established and has recently exhibited in the V&A.

Michelin star chef Thomas Keller describes the sensuality of seasoning: “Season your food properly… holding your hand up rather high, having the salt between your fingers and letting it fall, through the air.” Tihany Design tasked ArtLink with developing a concept for the two-deck high glass wall that serves as a backdrop to the staircase leading from the Colonnade to Thomas Keller’s The Grill Restaurant on the deck below.

The exciting history of the spice trade and its industry built from transit across oceans inspired the ArtLink-designed wall. From its conception to installation, ArtLink oversaw the construction of 1840 hand-casted glass bricks produced by expert artisans in colors ranging from turmeric to cinnamon, and each brick was hand-cast in sand to create a tactility reminiscent of running one’s hand through ground spices.