Meet the collaborators behind Manchester’s beer-meets-art project Fanny’s Passion

They are a band of brothers – and sisters – who brew beer in Salford and have a popular beer house in Ancoats.

She is a Salford-based artist who earned the moniker Fanny Gogh for her art work using vintage knickers.

A somewhat unlikely pairing. Yet Sian Elizabeth has been brought into the Seven Bro7hers brewery as their resident artist.

She’s designed the artwork for the brewery’s latest ale – Fanny’s Passion, a passionfruit flavoured beer based on her favourite tipple. Her original work will be seen on the beer bottles, pumps and design work across the city.

Keith McAvoy and his brothers loved the idea of having Sian on board.

“It was surprising how it developed from a chat and friendship into something else,” says Keith.

“It epitomises everything that is craft – what we are really good at is making things and making stuff happen. What we’re not so great at is having that artistic temperament to just splash things all over the place. It’s a collaboration, in the same way we’d collaborate with a brewer, this is just the same.

“Art is very important to myself and my brothers as it sits well alongside craft brewing. We used Sian during our Crowdfunding days when we started the brewery and are pleased to have her on board with our latest projects.”

Sian’s a big fan of Seven Bro7hers and their products.

“They produce a fantastic range of artisan and craft beers so their products provide the ideal canvas for my artwork. I’ve spent many hours sketching in the brewery and I’m really looking forward to what’s to come with the partnership.”

Where did the name of the beer come from?

“The first idea was Fanny Juice,” says Sian, “but thankfully it just evolved into Fanny’s Passion.  We developed the character of Fanny. She’s fruity and she’s mad and she’s crazy.

“And we don’t want to stop with a beer and a pump clip. We want to develop images, and feature each of the brothers and write a story around them.  I want the art to run parallel with the craft beer. It’s craft on both levels.”

And how did Sian get the name Fanny Gogh?

“I’m textile design based, I’ve been a working artist all of my life, and I had an exhibition in 2008. I upcycled lots of different bits of fabric, and I used knickers in a knickerbocker glory dessert sculpture – recreating the fruits using the knickers and covering them in masonry paint as the cream.

“I remember someone telling me I was in the Daily Sport. Someone got a copy for me, and they used a play one words, and I became ‘knicker artist’ Fanny Gogh. It stuck. Nobody would call me by my real name after that. Even when I teach art, they all call me Fanny.”

Fanny’s Passion is now available at bars and restaurants across the city featuring Sian’s art on the pump clip.

You can see more of her work here.