The Five Poisons 五毒

16/09/2014

Each piece of our wearable art is part of a greater piece.

15/09/2014

Legend has it that there was one symbol above all others synonymous with power and resilience. It was said to take the form of a fearsome mask. Five symbols from the natural realm were forged together to form a beast’s face: ox horns atop a face consisting of deer ears, a cat nose, an eagle beak and five human eyes. The result was so striking and charged with such spiritual might that the wearer was said to be indestructible.

This is the mark of the standard-bearer 旗手. This is The Five Poisons.

The year is 2013. In Shanghai, a new breed of artists has gathered to create something that pays tribute to the legend of The Five Poisons. The mission is to provide a unique canvas to showcase the spirit and skill of China’s emerging artists. Using cutting edge production methods, we are an independent, niche brand creating premium quality, stylish T-shirts that tell a story. Created in China’s most vibrant and decadent city, we seek artists to create designs that echo the legend of The Five Poisons. All our pieces are made by screen-printing onto a luxurious, unique blend of bamboo fibre and cotton before being handcrafted into premium-quality T-shirts in Shanghai.

15/09/2014

In nature, not everything is as it seems. Poison often takes oddly alluring forms. It has the power to both cure and kill, protect and destroy. The father of Chinese medicine, the Yan Emperor Shennong, supposedly tested hundreds of medicinal and poisonous herbs on himself. It was said his body was transparent, allowing him to observe the effects. Harnessing poison has obsessed the Chinese ever since, striving to implement it in the man-made world.

Artist Cheeri Wang created this poisonous emblem using mixed-media collage. This is the EMBLEM 会徽 tee. For the INVINCIBLE.

The year is 2013. In Shanghai, a new breed of artists has gathered to create something that pays tribute to the legend of The Five Poisons. The mission is to provide a unique canvas to showcase the spirit and skill of China’s emerging artists. Using cutting edge production methods, we are an independent, niche brand creating premium quality, stylish T-shirts that tell a story. Created in China’s most vibrant and decadent city, we seek artists to create designs that echo the legend of The Five Poisons. All our pieces are made by screen-printing onto a luxurious, unique blend of bamboo fibre and cotton before being handcrafted into premium-quality T-shirts in Shanghai.

15/09/2014

A blend of the tiger and the dragon, this fusion presents a fearsome prospect. The dragon is a symbol of longevity, prosperity and the renewal of life. The tiger embodies protection - capable of eating evil spirits. Both are members of the Four Divine Creatures, and while one rules the beasts in the sky, the other dominates those on the earth. Both symbols defy malevolent associations to form a formidable guardian.

Artist Momo Shou created this abstract design by illustration. This is the FUSION 合成 tee. For the COURAGEOUS.

The year is 2013. In Shanghai, a new breed of artists has gathered to create something that pays tribute to the legend of The Five Poisons. The mission is to provide a unique canvas to showcase the spirit and skill of China’s emerging artists. Using cutting edge production methods, we are an independent, niche brand creating premium quality, stylish T-shirts that tell a story. Created in China’s most vibrant and decadent city, we seek artists to create designs that echo the legend of The Five Poisons. All our pieces are made by screen-printing onto a luxurious, unique blend of bamboo fibre and cotton before being handcrafted into premium-quality T-shirts in Shanghai.

15/09/2014

Charms have been used throughout history for a variety of reasons. In China, charms are inscribed in certain ways so that they might provide protection from the supernatural. The Chinese are known for their unconventional approach, so they see value in deadly creatures where others do not. Why destroy poison if you can use it to your advantage?

Artist Xiao Longhua created this design taking inspitation from traditional Shanxi paper-cutting. This is the CHARM 魔力 tee. For the UNDAUNTED.

The year is 2013. In Shanghai, a new breed of artists has gathered to create something that pays tribute to the legend of The Five Poisons. The mission is to provide a unique canvas to showcase the spirit and skill of China’s emerging artists. Using cutting edge production methods, we are an independent, niche brand creating premium quality, stylish T-shirts that tell a story. Created in China’s most vibrant and decadent city, we seek artists to create designs that echo the legend of The Five Poisons. All our pieces are made by screen-printing onto a luxurious, unique blend of bamboo fibre and cotton before being handcrafted into premium-quality T-shirts in Shanghai.

15/09/2014

The triangle is the strongest geometric shape, and the basis of the Five Poisons logo. It is this shape that humans use to underpin structure. Hands begin to unfurl from within this outline, intertwining and clutching at each other and the frame. It evokes resilience and exudes strength - the two elements working to contain and support one another.

Artist Nini Sum created this design as a line pencil drawing. This is the TRIFORCE 三角力 tee. For the INDOMITABLE.

The year is 2013. In Shanghai, a new breed of artists has gathered to create something that pays tribute to the legend of The Five Poisons. The mission is to provide a unique canvas to showcase the spirit and skill of China’s emerging artists. Using cutting edge production methods, we are an independent, niche brand creating premium quality, stylish T-shirts that tell a story. Created in China’s most vibrant and decadent city, we seek artists to create designs that echo the legend of The Five Poisons. All our pieces are made by screen-printing onto a luxurious, unique blend of bamboo fibre and cotton before being handcrafted into premium-quality T-shirts in Shanghai.

15/09/2014

In Chinese philosophy, Yin and Yang illustrates how contrary forces can compliment each other to form something greater than its parts. Yin and Yang can be found in the great and the small. A poisonous creature, for example, does not represent a negative force simply because it has the capacity to be deadly. It is equipped to fight for its own survival and exist in a perilous environment. Poison can bring balance.

Artist Wang Miao created this design with a combination of traditional Chinese calligraphy and watercolour. This is the COSMOS 六合 tee. For the SHREWD.

The year is 2013. In Shanghai, a new breed of artists has gathered to create something that pays tribute to the legend of The Five Poisons. The mission is to provide a unique canvas to showcase the spirit and skill of China’s emerging artists. Using cutting edge production methods, we are an independent, niche brand creating premium quality, stylish T-shirts that tell a story. Created in China’s most vibrant and decadent city, we seek artists to create designs that echo the legend of The Five Poisons. All our pieces are made by screen-printing onto a luxurious, unique blend of bamboo fibre and cotton before being handcrafted into premium-quality T-shirts in Shanghai.

15/09/2014

Take a closer look, our canvas is different.

Finding quality and creativity in unconventional places is at the heart of The Five Poisons. We strive to re-imagine the very fabric of what a T-shirt is, using a unique composition and knit of 70% bamboo rayon and 30% cotton in our shirts. This blend offers unparalleled softness and feel owing to silky smooth bamboo combined with the structure that cotton adds. It also gives anti-microbial and thermo-regulating qualities, as well as superior breathability.

15/09/2014

The inaugural Wudu Range from The Five Poisons 五毒

The legend of The Five Poisons tells a story of five unique elements coming together to create something special. Five of Shanghai’s brightest artistic talents were tasked with individually interpreting the brand’s legend within the framework of the iconic triangular logo. In recognition of this, the range is called Wudu, meaning ‘five poisons’ in Mandarin. Each shirt is an original piece of wearable art.