Best known as the creator of the iconic floral skull image made for late British fashion designer Alexander McQueenâs Spring/Summer 2008 Menswear collection, Jacky Tsai combines traditional Chinese painting techniques and references with western Pop Art styles. Clearly influenced by the artistâs move to London from his native China in his early 20âs, Tsaiâs work embraces two cultural extremes by fusing social imagery associated with east and west to produce works which are both conceptual and aesthetically pleasing in equal measures. In âFlying Tigerâ, Chinese dragons and Jackie Chan lookalikes in kung fu poses are combined with images of American fighter planes, and in âSurfâ, western-style cars and helicopters are placed into a traditional landscape, merging with Chinese flowers, which are a reoccurring theme in Chinese art and poetry with each flower having a different symbolism and meaning.
With a keen interest in fashion and textiles after his work with McQueen, Tsai often prints his collage images onto silk instead of paper, and in 2011, he set up his own luxury fashion label with the intention to place the imagery he creates for his art onto clothing. His aim is to break the barrier between art and fashion and create "art level" fashion products for collectors of both art and fashion.
Born in China in 1984, Tsai grew up in Shanghai and after completing his BA at the China Academy of Art, moved to London to study MA Illustration at Central St Martins, graduating in 2008.
