GQ | 20 questions with... Jacky Tsai

Born and bred in Shanghai and heavily influenced by artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, Jacky Tsai’s work focuses on the combination of traditional Chinese craft with Western pop iconography. Tsai is most well known for the creation of the famous floral skull created for the late Alexander McQueen, which is where Tsai’s connection between spirit and pop culture becomes evident. The imaginative and repetitive use of the skull motif hints at the Chinese symbol of fear and superstition. However, mixing these “Skullptures” with floral patterns and and all things Mother Nature really brings out the charm in human decay. In fact, Tsai sees “the skull as a symbol of opportunity for new beginnings, rebirth from death”.