《潮代》三部曲 HISTORY OF THE CHÁO DYNASTY

With the completion of 《潮代3 CHAO3》, The Cháo Dynasty has reached an important milestone. What began on June 15th 2018 with a single scene featuring a Chinese monk in a Supreme cape has grown into an expansive illustrated universe filled with stories, references and personal memories.

The project originally started from an inspiration drawn from 《清明上河圖

Along the River During the Qingming Festival》, the iconic Chinese painting depicting daily life in a bustling city. From that initial reference point, the world gradually expanded beyond the bridge, growing leftwards into a universe of its own, shaped by contemporary culture, personal experiences and imagination.

Across CHAO1, CHAO2 and CHAO3, each volume has its own character and atmosphere, yet together they form one continuous panoramic world. More than 1100 characters populate this universe, each one carefully placed and connected through subtle details and layered storytelling.

The Cháo Dynasty functions as a visual diary and a time capsule. Moments from daily life, family, travels, current events, pop culture, fashion, meetings and personal experiences all find their way into this world. It is both an archive of life and an escape into fantasy, a tribute to the world around me and to everyone who inspires or collaborates with me along the way.

Each chapter carries its own narrative. CHAO1 revolves around the search for the seven Dragon Balls hidden within a crowded bridge full of contemporary culture. CHAO2 expands into a busy cityscape where six Infinity Stones and seven lost Jurassic Park eggs are scattered throughout the scene. One of those eggs introduced a new character, Kamelulu, who takes a central role in CHAO3 and opens up new layers within the universe.

The work is built with extreme attention to detail. Even the smallest elements, such as a watch hand or a background object, are intentional. Because of this density, the project continues to invite closer inspection and repeated viewing. A long term ambition is to present all three volumes together as a single large scale installation, allowing every character, reference and story to be fully experienced.

CHAO1 features 347 characters. CHAO2 features 360 characters. CHAO3 features 420 characters.

The Cháo Dynasty does not aim to conclude a story, but to build a world that can keep evolving. This moment marks a milestone, not an endpoint.

Prints of The Cháo Dynasty are available on the webshop. View CHAO2 and CHAO3 here or explore the detailed Cháo stories prints here.