Arise Dragon: Johnnie Walker Blue Label Lunar New Year Limited Edition Design with James Jean

Not often that a luxury journalist gets to wax lyrical about one of his childhood heroes. This man’s claim to to fame was that he very quickly became a cover artist for DC Comics and Marvel Comics upon graduation. , garnering seven Eisner awards, three consecutive Harvey awards, two gold medals and a silver from the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, and a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators of New York.

Best known for his cover illustrations for the Batgirl and Fables comics, he has worked with a wide variety of clients such as Atlantic Records, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Playboy even but this type, he plies his craft for one of the most celebrated whisky’s in a young gentleman’s formative years: Johnnie Walker. “Many consider the dragon the most powerful animal in the Chinese Zodiac and the Wood Dragon felt remarkably close to me because of the natural elements prevalent in my work,” says the beloved visual artist.

Arise Dragon: Johnnie Walker Blue Label Lunar New Year Limited Edition Design with James Jean

The use of “painterly realism” is a signature visual leitmotif of James Jean’s work: Painting realistic scenes with an abstract quality that makes them seem more like something out of a dream. The vivid design for the Year of the Dragon features an innovative and dynamic interpretation of 2024’s Zodiac animal, the noble Wood Dragon. Regarded by many as the mightiest of all the Zodiac animals, the dragon is symbolic of life and creativity as well as a portent of future prosperity in traditional Asian culture, echoing the defiant optimism of the Johnnie Walker motto, Keep Walking. In James’ layered visuals the evergreen Wood Dragon springs from bountiful flora and fauna, and bursts to life with auspicious ambition.

To achieve this, Jean employs colour manipulation. Experimenting with bold, vibrant hues to create a sense of depth and dimension, helping to draw the viewer into the artwork while using precise and fluid brushwork, often giving his paintings a sense of movement and dynamism,  particularly evident in his depictions of the dragon’s arms and tendrils, which seem to almost ripple and flow across the bottle, evoking a sense of majesty.

“Evolved from traditional depictions of Chinese dragons, my dragon is composed of flowers and organic elements, from which emerge tendrils and arcing lines, evoking the idea of roots and connection.”

Born in Taipei and raised in New Jersey, James, who attended the School of Visual Arts in New York, says: “With Johnnie Walker Blue Label Lunar New Year, we wanted to create a dragon that felt different, new and innovative – respect for the past but also looking into the future with optimism; in the same way that Johnnie Walker stands for progress through that incredible Keep Walking spirit.”

“James Jean’s remarkable interpretation of the Wood Dragon for Johnnie Walker Blue Label Lunar New Year captures the essence of tradition and innovation. Just as Johnnie Walker embodies progress with our ‘Keep Walking’ spirit, James has beautifully blended respect for the past with an optimistic look towards the future. His dragon, crafted from flowers and organic elements, is a symbol of the power of creativity and connection. We’re thrilled to celebrate the Year of the Dragon with this exquisite, limited edition design.” – Johnnie Walker Global Marketing and Innovation Director, Joao Matos

Renowned for his ability to work across different genres with an imaginative and multifaceted approach to image making, James fuses contemporary subjects with aesthetic techniques inspired by traditional Chinese scroll paintings, Japanese woodblock prints, and Renaissance portraiture. James, sought inspiration for his designs from the layers of incredible flavour that Johnnie Walker Master Blender Emma Walker and her team bring to Johnnie Walker Blue Label – a whisky made using some of the rarest whiskies from the unparalleled Johnnie Walker reserves of maturing Scotch, including some irreplaceable casks sourced from long-closed ‘ghost’ distilleries.