ARTIST

Graffiti Artist
BLACKZAO was born in Qingshui, Taichung, and began his journey into street art in 2002. Deeply immersed in Taichung’s urban culture, he is passionate about both music and street expression. In 2006, he co-founded the Virus No. 6 Street Art Collective, known for blending graffiti illustration with graphic design. His early work drew heavily from the raw, dark aesthetics of American heavy metal, infused with abstract musical imagery that transformed sound and rhythm into visual language.

Influenced from a young age by his family’s folk Buddhist and Taoist traditions, BLACKZAO’s more recent work integrates spiritual and existential themes, using visual art as a medium to explore the inner metaphysical world. His creative footprint spans New York, Xinjiang, Paris, Japan, Bangkok, Indonesia, South Korea, and beyond. His artistic language has evolved to become increasingly refined and powerful, extending into large-scale installations and a wide range of visual media.

In the realm of music visual design, he has collaborated with numerous artists and bands, including Fire EX., Flesh Juicer, Sam-seng-hiàn-gē, Non-Confined Space, Dharma, Amazing Show, FUTURE AFTER A SECOND, and Multiverse. Known for his intricate technique and boundless creativity, BLACKZAO was nominated for a Golden Melody Award for Best Album Packaging and won the Independent Music Award (USA) for Best Album Art/Photography in 2018.

BLACKZAO has also worked on visual campaigns for major international brands such as adidas, BMW, Balenciaga, DAKS London, and Johnnie Walker.

Design Concept
BLACKZAO designed this exclusive stage costume for Flesh Juicer, inspired by a bold concept he calls “Cyber Tai-ke”—a futuristic reinterpretation of Taiwan’s rugged street culture. Drawing from the lively energy of Taichung’s neon-lit streets, he sampled local signs and symbols and turned them into a vibrant, electric digital textile. The result is a visual remix of night markets, karaoke bars, and temple iconography, reimagined through a cyberpunk perspective.

The costume is grounded in black, with red and green talismanic patterns and a central Taiji (yin-yang) symbol woven throughout. These elements represent the tension and harmony between chaos and power, reflecting the band’s fusion of raw aggression and spiritual depth. The garment’s construction references traditional Han Chinese jackets with frog-button closures, layered embroidered robes, and modern performance sportswear cuts. The design moves fluidly between tradition and technology, evoking a battle uniform that merges gang culture, machinery, and faith. This is not just a stage costume. It is a spiritual mech forged in Taiwan’s contemporary reality and imagined future.