After designing his iconic Floral Skull fashion design for Alexander McQueen, London-based artist Jacky Tsai was an instantly recognizable name. Since then, the artist has continued to create captivating work, explaining that his vision is to “create a unique marriage between traditional Eastern craftsmanship with contemporary Western pop art.” In this now defining floral skull concept, Tsai investigates the juxtaposition between this symbol of death, covered with the new life of blossoming flowers.
During his time working in pattern design for McQueen, Tsai developed an interest in printing his work, not just on paper but, on various materials and fabrics, in particular, silk. In Floral Skull Leather Sculpture, Tsai takes his work to a brand new level by building the flower petals directly out of pieces of leather. According to his website, the more than 5 foot tall project was organized by Miss Linda Tsai, design director at Jacky Tsai Ltd. It required 15 needlesmiths, 300 days and nights, and 1,000 leather pieces stitched together with one million stitches to create the countless blossoms that cover the surface of this giant skull. His other sculpture work, entitled Floral Skullptures, is a series of ten skulls, all covered in gorgeous hand stitched flowers, and each one featuring a unique color combination.