You might not be familiar with Jacky Tsai‘s name – but I guarantee that you must have seen his work somewhere! One of his most recognised works in the fashion and art world is his skull design forAlexander McQueen.
Like me, Tsai was born in Shanghai, educated in London – so with our similar background and interests, we sat down for a casual chat about art, fashion, Shanghai, London and his latest collaboration with Shanghai Tang.
In the end, I had to ask the ultimate question that has been on my mind for quite a while: “Does Jacky Tsai see himself as an artist or a fashion designer?”. Read on to find out his answer!
Where did you first get the inspiration of creating the skull pattern for McQueen?
I was doing a work placement at McQueen and they showed me a beautiful fabric with a Victorian etching-style floral pattern – and that’s where my idea for the iconic floral skull originally came from.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I get inspiration from every part of my daily life, as I’m very sensitive to the environment. As a Shanghai boy living in London, I find it inspiring to combine cultures. I like to explore the idea of “ East meets West” in everyday life.
Why is your last name Tsai? That’s not a mainland Chinese surname! Are you originally from Canton or Taiwan?
This is an interesting question! My surname in Pinyin is spelled “Cai”, not “Tsai”. But it’s difficult for Westerners to pronounce “Cai” correctly, hence I decided to use “Tsai” so I know they are talking to me when they say it!
I always thought the surname “Tsai” was used mainly in the Canton or Taiwan regions until last year, when my grandpa showed me a picture of him as a child back in 1940. On the back of the photo, my grandpa’s name was written by his father and the surname was spelled as “Tsai”, not “Cai” – that’s when I realised the Pinyin system of simplified Chinese characters we use in mainland China started after 1949. Back in the day, all Chinese people wrote in traditional Chinese and spelled phonetic pronunciations this original way that is now only seen in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and overseas.
What were your favourite things to do in Shanghai when you were growing up? And what’s your favourite thing to do when you go back to visit now?
I feel quite lost when I visit Shanghai now – all the places have changed and the old vintage culture is not there any more, which is a shame. However, I myself have changed too! Sometimes I feel very English, so seeking out my old memories in Shanghai is the priority when I go back to visit. Having dinner with my family and friends reminds me that I’m still a Shanghai boy at heart.
What’s your favourite thing to do in London now?
I love walking around Portobello Market on Saturday, and Brick Lane on Sunday.
Describe your average working day to me?
9:30am – Wake up!
10:30am – Emails
11:00am – Art work with my assistant
1:30pm – Lunch break
2:30pm – Emails and meetings
6pm – More art work
8pm – Dinner
9pm – Meditation
10pm – Gym
11pm – Brainstorming
2am – Sleep!
What was your childhood dream?
To be an artist 
People say if your dream doesn’t scare you, then it’s not big enough. Do you have a big dream that scares you?
No – I’m not an ambitious person and I don’t dream too big. I appreciate every tiny thing I have now.
You often use digital effects in your art – are you also into tech gadgets? If so, what’s your favourite gadget and what apps do you use on your smartphone/tablet?
I’m not into gadgets too much; staying in touch with my art followers and friends on social networking apps is the only reason I really use my smartphone, so I would say Facebook, Instagram, WeChat, Twitter and Weibo are the most valuable apps to me. They really make the world smaller!
How do you feel about being the first (and youngest!) Chinese artist that Shanghai Tang has collaborated with?
I was very shocked and surprised when Shanghai Tang first approached me – I wasn’t sure if I was good enough for them! I love their brand as it carries an essence of classic yet modern Chinese style in everything they do. They are a brand that is not just about fashion or art but culture as well.
We will have the official launch in Hong Kong on 15 May; I am really looking forward to it and hopefully everyone will like what we created.
How do you like Hong Kong?
To me, Hong Kong is like art. It’s all about fusion and collaborations.
What other projects do you have in the pipeline?
One thing I do want to do is focus more on creating art projects. However, my womenswear collection will also be out later this year.
And finally, one last question that I think many readers must also be curious about! Do you consider yourself an artist or a fashion designer now?
I’m definitely an artist and I will always be an artist. I am very lucky to get involved in different collaborations with amazing fashion brands, and I think it’s a great way to introduce art into people’s daily life. Yet my heart and focus has and always will be on art.
Thanks for your time, Jacky!
Tags: art, collaboration, exclusive, fashion news, hong kong, Interview, Jacky Tsai, Shanghai Tang, 上海灘, 中國藝術家, 時尚藝術合作, 獨家, 訪問, 香港
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