JACKY TSAI

Press

https://news.artnet.com/buyers-guide/eyestorm-london-jacky-tsai-2328477

Spotlight: London-Based Artist Jacky TsaI Synthesizes Eastern and Western Symbols, From Mahjong Tiles to Memento Mori

Represented by Eyestorm, the artist has a vibrant artistic style rooted in traditional Chinese styles and Western Pop art.

Artnet Gallery Network, June 28, 2023

Jacky Tsai, Gambling Skull (Jack of Diamonds) (2014). Courtesy of Eyestorm, London.

Every month, hundreds of galleries add newly available works by thousands of artists to the Artnet Gallery Network—and every week, we shine a spotlight on one artist or exhibition you should know. Check out what we have in store, and inquire for more with one simple click.

What You Need to Know: Founded in 1999, Eyestorm initially focused on—and quickly gained prominence for—releasing limited artist editions. Over the course of more than two decades, Eyestorm has worked with some of the world’s most famous artists, such as Maurizio Cattelan, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, and Ed Ruscha, just to name a few, many before they had become household names. Eyestorm continues to offer works by established artists, but also showcases a dynamic and diverse range of emerging artists, creating an opportunity for collectors to invest in the work of early-career artists. In 2011, Henrik Riis, a member of a group of entrepreneurs who acquired Eyestorm, was named CEO, and began a process of revitalization that stayed true to the gallery’s ethos and mission. Part of this included the addition of London-based Chinese artist Jacky Tsai, who at the time was first gaining traction in the art world and has since become internationally recognized and exhibited.

About the Artist: Jacky Tsai (b. 1984) has an artistic practice centred on the synthesis of Eastern techniques and symbolism with Western Pop art references, resulting in a unique visual lexicon that simultaneously reflects and comments on contemporary reality. Working with a wide range of mediums, from traditional canvas-based works to NFTs, Tsai’s work materially engages with themes of time, creating work that is in “past, present, and future tenses.” Tsai received his B.A. at the China Academy of Art, after which he relocated to London to study at Central Saint Martins, and in 2022, he was named Artist of the Year by the Digital Art Fair, Hong Kong, celebrating the decade the artist has spent working in both traditional and digital art mediums. His first major museum show, “Life-Fantasy,” in China opened the same year, and he is presently the subject of a solo show at MOCA Bangkok, “Reincarnation,” on view through July 23, 2023.

Why We Like It: Tsai’s body of work contains an intriguing series of dichotomies—between the narrative and abstract, serious and humorous, traditional and avant-garde, and, most apparently, Eastern and Western. Often, the antecedents for individual motifs and compositions are immediately recognizable, but when considered as part of the whole, the unique balance Tsai imparts through crafting each work results in something that transcends the individual elements. In Gambling Skull (Jack of Diamonds) (2014), for instance, the overall composition is that of a common playing card with a skull. Upon closer inspection, however, the skull is made up of juxtaposed and overlaid motifs drawn from gambling culture—the teeth are comprised of mahjong tiles, the eyes roulette wheels. The work is from a series of 15 unique playing card compositions. Other works, such as Puppets (2016) illustrate Tsai’s deft employment of Eastern and Western cultural icons. Here, a scene is set within a traditional Chinese puppet house, but the puppets performing are characters from contemporary DC and Marvel comic book universes.

Jacky Tsai, Dream in the Deserted Garden (Blue) (2018). Courtesy of Eyestorm, London.

Jacky Tsai, Cloisonné Skull (2018). Courtesy of Eyestorm, London.

Jacky Tsai, The Revival (2017). Courtesy of Eyestorm, London.

Jacky Tsai, Puppets (2016). Courtesy of Eyestorm, London.

Jacky Tsai, Pow Pow Pow (2016). Courtesy of Eyestorm, London.

Jacky unveiled Parody of Jay’s Music at Christie’s Art+Tech Summit

Christie’s Art+Tech Summit is an annual one-day conference and part of an ongoing initiative to spark dialogue about the role and potential impact of emerging technologies in the art world. Jacky was invited as a guest speaker for the panel talk Breathing Life into the Surface to discuss his new paiting Parody of Jay’s Music. Through augmented reality (AR), Jacky along with visual artist and director of Future Power Station Yibi Hu and Co-Founder & COO of The Parallel Alexander Padhaiski, added life to the 8-metre painting. Supported by the famous Mandopop singer and art collector Jay Chou, the artwork took Tsai a year to complete. The painting is inspired by the singer's 20 years of music career.

Jacky Tsai X GUM Installation
GUM Department Store, Red Square No.3

21st Feb 2018, Moscow

In February 2018, Tsai was invited to bring his work to Russia by creating a series of bespoke large-scale sculptures and installation works that were to be exhibited at Moscow’s landmark department store GUM, to coincide with Chinese New Year.

By exhibiting his work in such a commercial space, Tsai looked to decrease the conventional gap between art and the masses. It was as a result of this showcasing at GUM that Tsai was invited to have his solo show at the prestigious Moscow Museum of Modern Art.

Composed with iconic cultural elements from both China and Russia, Tsai’s unique take on Chinese New Year celebrated the dawn of 2018 in Moscow’s Red Square. The exhibition at GUM immersed shoppers into a world of culture and lifestyle, bringing art to the general public as he took over large areas of the mall with hanging large-scale pieces. In the works on show, Tsai continues to play with ideas of cultural associations with a Pop Art twist in order to celebrate the passionate spirit of what the artist believes to be a solid bond between the two nations.

'Untitled' (2018) - Central installation in GUM

Traditional Chinese aesthetic is the foundation of Tsai’s work, and Chinese art education in the late 20th century was greatly influenced by Soviet Art. Therefore this exhibition can be seen as a solidification of the two nations’ appreciation of beauty, and Tsai’s approach was to illustrate this harmony.

Occupying vast areas of open space across a number of floors of the store, Tsai’s captivating sculptures were quite a challenge for the artist, proving to be a new approach from previous works. Early childhood memories provided much of the inspiration, as seen in the geometric shapes that reference the Tetris Gameboy – a game often present in a typical Chinese home during the 1980s. The ‘Russian Cube Game’ - a direct Chinese translation - was part of what formed early impressions of Russian design in the young mind of the artist and his generation, so it therefore seemed fitting to include.

Tetris blocks as elements of the installation

Other references include the Matryoshka doll, often referred to as the ‘Russian Doll’. On observing that Russian and Chinese cultural symbols frequently tied closely together, Tsai noted the pear-shaped body of the doll suggests a woman who has given birth to many children and therefore is a homage to large united families, which take an important role in Russian culture; the same ideology has been followed for centuries throughout Chinese history.

Matryoshka dolls

Another figure present in these works is the Swan Lake ballerina, arguably, along with the ‘Russian Doll’, one of the most popular Russian icons of all time. For Chinese audiences, Swan Lake is the direct definition of Russian ballet and a vital part of China’s ballet development, so it therefore felt appropriate to include her as a key character. Tsai’s work praises youthful talents such as the ballerina or the acrobat, which also appears, as they carry on their cultural legacies, thus representing the continued and sustained efforts of the two nations working together to find the perfect cultural balance.
 

'Circus Girl' (2018)

'Ballerina' (2018)

To accompany the visual aspect of the exhibition at GUM, Tsai composed and orchestrated some vibrant, energetic and touching cross-cultural music to further emphasis the unity between the two nations.

The works were displayed at the store for a period of one month during February 2018 to coincide with Tsai’s solo exhibition ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ at the MMOMA.

https://london.lecool.com/interviews/jacky-tsai/                       

Jacky Tsai

By Josh Jones in ART

Down at Unit London Gallery right now, you can find Chinese Pop Artist Jacky Tsai’s biggest solo exhibition yet. ‘>Reincarnation‘ sees the brilliant contemporary artist creating a truly individual style, bringing his massive art pieces to Unit London in Hanover Square. We went to his studio for a chat.

This is the largest solo show that you’ve done isn’t it?
It is! I haven’t done a solo show in the UK for a while. Even though I’m based here I have so many projects going on and working with different brands from all over the world so I’ve been doing shows in different countries. So this is the first time in two years that I’ve done a solo show here. That’s why I’ve got so many artworks to show. Each of the large canvases are hand painted and there are so many procedures to make one artwork. They take a while too – each one takes two months each. I like to make sure that every element in my artwork is in the right position because I do collage art so if you change one part by just one centimetre it affects everything else. Everything has to be in balance. 

Are they all new pieces?
No, no. The main floor of the gallery will be all new pieces but in the basement there will be a selection of my favourite pieces. Those pieces are all chosen from my warehouse in Hong Kong. I don’t want to sell all of my art so I collect my own work to have a nice record. When Unit London approached me I liked their idea that I could have a kind of retrospective of my work as well. So I said OK, let’s fully commit to this show and dig out some old favourites! The most amazing part of it for me is this is almost like a group show – the aesthetic is, of course, the same because it all comes from me but the techniques can be totally, totally different. Some of the pieces are from four years ago and I’ve changed a bit since then. When I’ve put them all together, even though the pieces are different mediums and different formats, people will still know that they’re Jacky Tsai art work. It’s very exciting for me. 
 

Was it nice to curate your own work? 
It was, definitely! I have made the decision as to where each artwork is positioned and normally that’s something that a curator or the gallery will do. But for me, with this show, I have total control and also total freedom. Unit London is an artist-led gallery and they respect what we do! 

You’re known for your meld of Chinese art and Western pop culture references, how did you start deciding that combining these two things were the way you wanted to go?
That’s a good question. First of all, the show is called Reincarnation and that, to me, means your self moving from your past life, your current life and future life. For me it’s almost like time travelling. You can go back to see your early life and you can travel to the future to see yourself there. You could be an animal, you could be a human – who knows? All possibilities are there. So within my artwork normally I’ll have a traditional figure from the past, a current figure and a future figure. They always mix up and create something completely new. So that’s the idea! Western, Eastern, Future, Past: everything together. 

You’ve used some traditional Chinese craft for some of the pieces in Reincarnation – are there any that we might not know about? 
I have several pieces in the show that use lacquer carving, which is almost a dying Chinese craft. It’s carved by hand and then painted by hand with gold and silver leaf. It’s quite an ancient technique in China. I’ve been practising it for a long time and I have a team who do it – there are only about five or six older craftsmen who can do the high level . The carved pieces in the show were all done in China and then shipped here.

You’re influenced by Warhol and Liechtenstein. Can you remember the first time you came across work?
Of course! I grew up in China and before I came to London 12 years ago I was at the university in Shanghai, I was reading all the books about Liechtenstein and Andy Warhol. They have influenced me a lot. They influenced me massively. Their work is almost the opposite to Chinese art aesthetic, which is watercolour landscapes. Everything is neutral and free flowing. It’s not like the processed, very precise work you get in Pop Art. Liechtenstein for example is very rigid with vivid block colours and bold black lines. This opened my eyes and I was addicted to Pop Art. When I came to London I was thinking how I could make my art different. I didn’t want to copy Pop Art, I wanted to create something different. With the experience that I had both in China and the UK I could naturally combine these two cultures together in my art. Now a lot of people want to do this kind of art but they can’t because they haven’t experienced both cultures. For me it happened very naturally. I just want to do Pop Art in a Chinese way. I’m not copying anyone.

Interview: Josh Jones
Photo: Tom Medwell

E-mail: info@hayhillgallery.com