NCL Debuts Artwork for Chinese-Market Cruise Ship
On Wednesday, Norwegian Cruise Lines announced that it has commissioned artwork for the hull of the newbuild Norwegian Joy from Chinese artist Tan Ping, known for his leadership of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Image and Landscape Design Project. His work is also in the collections of the National Art Museum of China, the Ludwig Museum in Germany, the Shanghai Art Museum and the Portland Art Museum.
"We are incredibly honored to be partnering with Professor Tan Ping," says David Herrera, president of NCL China. "He has perfectly captured the feel of Norwegian Joy as a luxurious, technologically advanced ship while honoring traditional Chinese values."
Ping's theme for Norwegian Joy's bow is the phoenix, a mythical bird said to “reign supreme over all birds of the world.” It is a common motif in Chinese art and can be found throughout the centuries in paintings, silk brocades, and architectural features.
"The phoenix symbolizes beauty and good luck in Chinese culture, and Norwegian Joy will bridge across the West and the East and bring Chinese people's best wish to the world and everyone in her path," said Ping. "This design is by far my largest artwork, [and] traveling worldwide on Norwegian Joy, I also expect that it will reach a far greater number of viewers than any of my previous works."
Tan's design is simple, with flowing lines intended to signify forward movement and poise. The color palette is dominated by red and yellow, traditionally high-status colors in China: red signifies joy, matching her name, and yellow represents grandeur. The design also includes hints of blue to reflect its seagoing purpose. Tan intends the design to impart the feeling of an auspicious beginning to a voyage.
The 3,900-passenger Norwegian Joy is set to sail from Shanghai and Tanjin in the summer of 2017. It is designed specifically with Chinese cruisers in mind, and among other amenities it will feature the world’s first seagoing go-cart racetrack. It will also include Norwegian’s separate first class section, The Haven, advertized as a “ship-within-a-ship suite luxury complex.”