Centurion Singapore Winter 2021

F R O M T H E E D I T O R
CHRISTIAN SCHWALBACH
What does the good life look
like? It’s a question chef
Daniel Humm has been
asking himself in recent years – and his
surprising answer, in part, is what led
him to transform his Michelin-three-star
gastro palace, Eleven Madison Park, into
a vegan restaurant this summer.
I’ll let you turn to page 66 to read our
intimate profile of him – written by chef
and restaurateur Bill Knott, a frequent
contributor to these pages – and find out
all the nuances of why time, localism and
philanthropy have become so central to
his approach both inside and outside
the kitchen.
But Humm is not the only one who
has been reconceiving luxury in 2021. In
this issue of Centurion, we focus on the
people, places and companies that are
changing the ways we live in – and look
at – the world around us, as meaningful
moments and actions increasingly replace
staid ideas of traditional luxury.
Our feature on the philanthropists and
conservationists fighting to preserve the
wildlife of Africa details why going on a
safari might be one of the best things you
can do to help the cause.
Elsewhere, we take a deep dive into the
whisky world, looking at Scotland’s ghost
distilleries coming back to life, a trio of
Japan’s new passion-led craft distilleries
and the exceptionally buoyant world
of whisky investment. We also travel to
Vermejo, a conservation-oriented ranch
in the American West; consider the
virtues of various private-hire islands
across the globe; and wonder at the
transformative powers of seaweed, not
only as a superfood and skincare salve
but as a prime example of how renewable,
natural resources might be used across
the whole material world. Which is its
own perspective on the good life.
We hope you enjoy the issue as much as
we did putting it together. ¬
IVORY BLACK
American painter James
Austin Murray worked
with ivory black oil paint
and simple brushstrokes
to create his evocative
Swimming In It (2020).
jamesaustinmurray.com
12 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM