THE
STORMTOURIST
Genesis
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The Stormtourist was born almost by accident. At first, it was just a personal experiment I worked on between projects. After creating several commissioned self-based art toys for other people, I decided to make my own.
I started modeling the body as a literal reflection of myself: tilted pelvis, slouched shoulders, heavy calves. And also the same clothing I wear in summer, usually a shirt, a ribbed tank, and socks with sandals.
From Self to Symbol
By the time I reached the head, I was deep into my own thoughts about ego, validation, and the artist’s place in the work. Suddenly, making an art toy of myself no longer made sense. The body stayed unfinished on my worktable for months.
Then one day, I found an old Stormtrooper helmet from a collectible series. Instantly I thought of the almost forgotten body remaining in my studio. When I tried it, the whole piece clicked. It became cool, ironic, and strangely allegorical.
Meaning
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I named it The Stormtourist as a metaphor for modern alienation. We work for companies (ours or someone else’s) and think we’re free on vacation. But still we’re serving the same Empire: capitalism. Yet the toy isn’t about resignation, it’s about human acceptance. He’s chill. Everything’s fine.
Evolution
Then, following the Popeye and Playboy projects, I suggested the manufacturer, ZCWO, producing it as a limited edition. He believed in the piece so much that The Stormtourist had to travel to Hong Kong to be cloned.​​
While in production, the talent management and collaboration agency V Collective contacted me from Shanghai. They wanted to exhibit one of my pieces, reproduced in a three-meter version.
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They had originally asked for another work, but since it was a one-off (and based on a KAWS piece), I proposed The Stormtourist instead, as it was soon to be released as a limited edition.
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They loved the idea.
In October 2021, a three-meter Stormtourist was standing at Open File Shanghai show.
Open File Shanghai
In 2022, the limited edition was released, and the three-meter sculpture reappeared at Open File Beijing.​​
Open File Beijing
As its message and visual language are timeless, in October 2024, another giant version was later displayed at the spinoff edition Open File Guangzhou, this time at the Taikoo Hui luxury mall.
Taikoo Hui Open File Spinoff
Legacy
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Today, it’s probably my most recognized piece.
Yes, it borrows from a famous icon, and without that reference its reach might’ve been smaller, but that’s part of pop art and the art toy world: appropriation, satire, reinterpretation.
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Anyway, it’s not just a tourist disguised as a Stormtrooper or a Stormtrooper on vacation. The Stormtourist has meaning and his own background.
