Chinese pop artist Jacky Tsai presents his new show “The Lost Angels” at the Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles. Tsai is best known for his unique processes and crossovers between Eastern and Western imagery in his art. “The Lost Angels” exhibits Tsai’s work in many mediums, including lenticular prints, acrylic canvas work, and lacquer carving, a 3,000-year-old technique that has been updated with the introduction of vibrantly painted superheroes.
The show’s largest piece, titled “Golden Fortune Tree,” features Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman fighting alongside traditional Chinese characters to protect a luminous, gold-leafed tree from encroaching industrialization. In another work, titled “One Night in Macau,” Superman is seen losing big at the roulette wheel, his trademark “S” now the British pound symbol.
Tsai’s work references Eastern artistry and Western pop art styles in an attempt to establish balance between the two cultures. He creates artworks that reimagine a standard of beauty and are appealing to viewers from any cultural background. His lenticular print, “Chinese Floral Skull, Yellow Lenticular”, examines the conception held about death, beauty, and decay from both the East and West.
Tsai is also known for his contributions to the fashion world, where he has launched his own label and collaborated with designer Alexander McQueen to create the acclaimed skull motif. On view through November 25 at the Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles, “The Lost Angels” is a great show for those familiar with or new to Jacky Tsai’s work.
