Jacky Tsai X World Dream Cruise Ship
Tsai was invited to devise a new concept for Dream Cruises’ newest vessel, ‘World Dream’

01st Oct 2017
Hong Kong

Following on from the success of the well-received hull artwork created for ‘Genting Dream’ in 2016, Tsai was invited to devise a new concept for Dream Cruises’ newest vessel, ‘World Dream’, set afloat in August 2017.

Entitled ‘A Tale of Two Dreams’, the visual narrative plays on the themes of pure love and harmony, and continues the story that began in the ‘Voyage of A Lover’s Dream’ piece, which appeared on ‘Genting Dream’ previously, telling the tale of a love story between a mermaid and an astronaut.

The artwork for the second cruise ship, ‘World Dream’, sees Tsai conclude his tale, whilst introducing new characters and the concept of a stronger, purer love of family and everlasting friendships.

On the port side of the ship, the previous story is referenced and concluded as the mermaid and the astronaut appear together, hand in hand. The story then unfolds on the starboard side, with two new main characters; the captain of the ship, who looks through his telescope at Chang’e, the Chinese fairy as she floats through the air. Here, Chang’e represents family, love and reunion. The captain, despite his celebrity status onboard the ship, longs to be with his loved ones who are far away.

Chang’e is surrounded by whimsical elements, which Tsai uses to add a sense of playfulness to the story. Most of the small characters and creatures are flying, swimming or travelling by their own means, such as skiing or riding a bike, in order to go on their own journey. Items such as the watermelon, which represents a planet, are symbolic of new hopes and dreams. The pattern on Chang’e’s dress, which would normally contain tradition Chinese patterns, shows the ship’s helm, introducing modern symbols to an otherwise historical character, and acting as a reminder of how a dream world can create often abstract scenarios.

In the distance, the mermaid and the astronaut can be seen in silhouette on the moon, holding hands as they fly away in union. The white rabbit in front of them on the port side is Chang’e’s pet, who guides them on her behalf, and the dragon boat that follows references the boat in the previous ‘Genting Dream’ story, again bringing the two narratives together.

‘World Dream’ set off on 26th August 2017 from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, before travelling across the river Ems to the North Sea and heading to Asia.