Celebrating Culture and Community

Blue and white porcelain (青花瓷) is an art form appreciated all around the world for its elegance and beauty. Traditionally each piece is hand painted and often depicts the dragon to represent good luck, prosperity, strength, and honor. These iconic wares can be found at the most esteemed museums as prized artifacts to common kitchen tables in homes in China and beyond. Alaska Airlines honors the rich history of Chinese art and celebrates everyday people’s lives with this Blue and White Porcelain Dragon by Qinghui Ji. 

This dragon statue is filled with symbols of fortune and luck: golden coins, lanterns, red envelopes, ingots, firecrackers, fireworks, the symbols for double-happiness (喜喜) and good luck ‘Fu’ (福). Included are elements from SF Chinatown: the Dragon Gate and the Pagoda. The blue and white color theme not only symbolizes the universe and harmony but also pays tribute to the classic Chinese art form.

“Growing up in China, I have fond memories of eating my grandpa’s homemade food from blue and white porcelains, where a little dragon is depicted at the bottom of the bowl or plate,” explains artist, Qinghui Ji. “For this design, I studied the color composition of blue and white porcelain with dragon designs and limited the colors to 4 shades of blue and white. It effectively brings out a strong contrast that can catch viewers’ eyes from afar. Besides the head, tail, and limbs, I gave the dragon a more modern look by using a simplified and cartoony design of Chinese New Year elements for its main body. The whole dragon is not only relatable to those who know about the history of Chinese art but also to those who are new to Chinese culture.”