Artist James Jean has collaborated with andSons Chocolatiers on a Lunar New Year chocolate collection to mark the upcoming Year of the Horse. The James Jean x andSons Chocolatiers Lunar New Year Collection combines visual art, ingredient symbolism, and fine chocolate craftsmanship. Designed for gifting and sharing, the collection reflects the traditions and social rituals of the holiday.
The collaboration centers on Jean’s Fire Horse artwork. The image depicts a musician seated beside her horse in a moment of stillness. Instead of emphasizing speed or strength, the composition focuses on reflection and restraint. Jean describes the Fire Horse as a symbol of transformation, where removing excess reveals what endures.
Design elements from Fire Horse appear throughout the collection. The musician’s face and related motifs feature prominently on the bonbons and packaging. These details visually connect the chocolates to the original artwork.
Based in Beverly Hills, andSons Chocolatiers operates as a second-generation chocolate company. Chef Sandy Tran leads the kitchen and oversees the production. Using Valrhona chocolate, Clover Sonoma dairy, and hand-selected farmers market ingredients, Tran developed the bonbon flavors with Lunar New Year symbolism in mind. The collection draws on ingredients associated with prosperity, abundance, and togetherness. Each bonbon pairs Valrhona chocolate with fruit, seeds, tea, or spirits to create balanced and structured flavor profiles.
The Cherimoya bonbon pairs peak-season farmers market cherimoya with white chocolate, highlighting notes of banana, pineapple, and vanilla. Cherimoya is traditionally associated with prosperity and good fortune during the Lunar New Year. Buddha’s Hand Oolong combines confited Buddha’s hand citrus set in a pâte de fruit with oolong-infused dark milk chocolate ganache and a touch of elderflower. Double Black and Coke features dark chocolate layered with smoky Johnnie Walker Double Black whisky and cola, referencing Lunar New Year gatherings where toasts and shared drinks are central.
Satsuma uses whole Santa Monica Farmers Market satsumas, including juice, peel, and pith, paired with 70% dark chocolate. The fruit’s golden color is traditionally associated with wealth and happiness. Coconut highlights roasted young Thai coconut finished with kaffir lime zest, referencing family unity and togetherness through its round shape. Brown Butter Pumpkin Seed features toasted raw pumpkin seeds ground into a house-made praline with brown butter, inspired by Lunar New Year treat trays that symbolize abundance and longevity. Ginger White Sesame layers ginger juice pâte de fruit with a toasted sesame praline, balancing heat, nuttiness, and sweetness.
Through this collaboration, Jean and Tran merge visual storytelling with culinary craft. The Lunar New Year Collection offers an experience rooted in tradition and shared celebration.
Artist James Jean partnered with andSons Chocolatiers to create a Lunar New Year collection that combines visual art, cultural symbolism, and fine chocolate.
The decadent bonbon collection includes Jean’s artwork, titled Fire Horse.
The piece features a musician and her steed in a moment of tranquility.
Motifs from Fire Horse, including the musician’s face, appear directly on the bonbons.
Chef Sandy Tran built each bonbon around ingredients associated with prosperity and abundance, with flavors ranging from seasonal fruits to tea, seeds, and spirits.
The collections reflects the social rituals of the Lunar New Year, emphasizing sharing, renewal, and connection.
