“A Cohiba Behike 52 is not merely a cigar — it is a pilgrimage in tobacco form: rare, intricate, and profoundly balanced. In Valentine’s abstract depiction, the smoke becomes a visual symphony — an elegy of flavor, heritage, and the visceral poetry that defines a true aficionado’s journey.”
BEHIKE — The Legendary Cigar That Inspired the Art
The Cohiba Behike 52 stands at the pinnacle of Cuban cigar craftsmanship. Launched in 2010, this petit robusto (approximately 119 mm by 52 ring gauge) was the first regular production cigar to incorporate the incredibly rare Medio Tiempo tobacco leaf — a sun-grown leaf harvested only from the top tier of the plant, known for delivering extraordinary depth and complexity.
For the seasoned smoker, the Behike 52 is a revelation: a sequence of taste revelations that unfold from creamy cedar and honey-sweetness to richer layers of leather, spice, and a lingering, elegant finish — a profile that elicits comparisons to sipping a fine vintage while listening to a chamber quartet.
Its scarcity — resulting from extremely limited production and the finite supply of Medio Tiempo leaves — has transformed this cigar into not only a luxurious indulgence but a collector’s trophy, prized on humidors the way a rare watch or fine automobile occupies its own place of reverence.
The Art of Cohiba BEHIKE 52 Abstract — A Collector’s Statement Piece
The Cohiba BEHIKE 52 Abstract by Michael John Valentine is far more than a decorative print — it is a luxury sensory artefact. Its genesis lies in the rarefied space where cigar culture intersects with contemporary abstract expression, celebrating the iconic cigar’s physical and symbolic presence.
Conceptual Resonance: Smoked Air Made Visual
At its core, Valentine’s work channels the spirit of the Behike experience. The original BEHIKE boxes — with their emblematic checkered motif — serve as the conceptual foothold from which the visual abstraction evolves. That racing flag pattern becomes kinetic; the checkers escape the constraints of geometry and explode into a futuristic urban tapestry where smoke itself reshapes the visual field.
For collectors, this is not incidental aesthetics — it’s narrative embodied. The smoke — ephemeral in reality — acquires form and motion, suggesting the lingering flavors of a Behike session: the tactile sweetness of cedar, the warm echo of honeyed spice, and that lingering finish whose memory outlasts the moment of indulgence itself.
Material and Craft — A Symphony of Technique
Valentine’s chosen medium — acrylic on canvas — complements the luxury narrative of the Cohiba brand. Acrylic’s luminosity and fast-drying depth enable layers of pigment to coalesce into visual textures that mirror the tactile experience of a cigar’s smoke and ash.
This mixed-media approach imbues the work with both immediacy and permanence, transforming a fleeting sensory act into something collectors may hold, frame, and treasure. Each exhibition canvas undergoes a meticulous process: overpainting with multiple acrylic layers, signature application on the front, and a protective glazing that preserves both texture and tonal subtlety without diminishing visual depth.
Spectrum of Formats — From Decal to Museum-Ready Canvas
Understanding the diverse tastes of the collector class, Valentine offers the piece in a range of formats — from intimate 4-inch round decals and smaller matted glossy prints to grand exhibition canvases nearing 38″×56″. The limited release 11″×14″ black floating frame edition is particularly curated for connoisseurs who seek investment-grade art that commands both space and discerning attention.
Each format arrives with a Certificate of Authenticity, a crucial marker for collectors, linking the object to Valentine’s studio in Lake Norman, North Carolina, and guaranteeing that provenance — a non-negotiable asset in serious art collections.
The Emotional and Collectible Impact
This is where Valentine’s work transcends decorative art and enters the arena of collector psychology.
Memory and Ritual
Cigar culture is woven through ritual: the lighting, the first draw, the contemplative pause, the shared experience. The BEHIKE 52 Abstract encapsulates this ritual in visual poetry, allowing the owner to recall that sequence of sensations through color, form, and spatial dynamics.
It is a piece not just meant to be seen — but experienced.
Statement of Identity
Collectors of luxury goods — whether cigars, watches, automobiles, or fine spirits — seek objects that reflect not only taste but identity. This artwork does precisely that: it signals a connoisseur’s depth of engagement with the Behike legend and the cultural mythology it carries. Hanging this piece in a lounge or private library is tantamount to curating a personal manifesto — one that articulates a life lived in pursuit of refined pleasures.
Intersection of Two Worlds
There is a profound synergy here: fine Cuban tobacco heritage and abstract contemporary art. Each domain values craftsmanship, patience, depth, and subtlety. The Cohiba Behike 52 represents rarefied tobacco craftsmanship; Valentine’s abstract piece channels that ethos into visual language. As such, the art and the cigar become co-equals in the narrative of refined taste.
Conclusion — A Luxurious Fusion of Sensory Worlds
Michael John Valentine’s Cohiba BEHIKE 52 Abstract is more than art — it is an evocation of luxury sensuality.
It celebrates the historic gravitas of the Cohiba Behike 52, a cigar revered by connoisseurs for its rarity, balance, and sensual complexity, and translates that reverence into rich, expressive abstraction. For the collector who understands nuance, legacy, and the rituals of indulgence, this piece offers not only aesthetic gratification but a lasting sensory heirloom — an objet d’art that dialogues with the passions of connoisseurship itself.
The Exhibition Canvas comes in 3 sizes and goes through several steps that include overpainting with acrylics, signing with acrylics on the front and a final glazing to protect the canvas before being rolled in a sealed tube then a box ( shipping is free in the USA )
The Matted Prints come in 3 sizes and are shipped in a box. ( shipping and handling is free in the US)
The Glossy Poster Print measures 16 x 24 and arrives in a sealed tube that is placed in a box. ( shipping is free in the US )
The 4 Inch Round Peel And Stick Decal is perfect for many applications beyond cars and comes in a sealed envelope ( shipped for free )
Please e-mail fineartbyval@gmail.com
