Recently, the "STAYREAL PARK 2.0" event, co-created by Mayday's A-Shin and Buer Liang, has taken Shanghai by storm. Visitors flocking to the event were drawn to a massive LEGO® carrot model, which was actually created by Prince Jiang, Mainland China's first LEGO® Certified Professional (LCP), and his team. This impressive piece, titled "Heart with No Other Burp", has previously appeared in Taiyuan, Wuhan, and Chengdu. In addition, Jiang's latest works, "MOJO BUS" and "STAYREAL Future Post Office", made their debut at the Shanghai event and have garnered much attention and affection from fans.
Prince Jiang is Mainland China's first LEGO® Certified Professional (LCP) and the youngest of the only 23 LCPs in the world. In 2017, he signed a contract with LEGO® Group and returned to China to establish his Brick of Philosophy studio. Over the past six years, Jiang has created more than 160 customized flagship models for over 130 LEGO® authorized stores across the country. He has also collaborated on numerous cross-industry projects with well-known brands both domestically and internationally. Jiang has appeared on various variety shows and reality TV programs and has been interviewed by leading media outlets both in China and abroad.
As a native Chinese designer, Jiang’s main focus is on creating LEGO® models that reflect traditional Chinese culture. He hopes to introduce global fans to Chinese culture through his LEGO® creations, and he is enthusiastic about being the designer and creator of this cultural bridge.
"MOJO BUS": The STAYREAL Edition "Baby Bus" Arrives at Shanghai
MOJO BUS is a large 3D relief model made from LEGO® bricks, measuring 4.3 meters in length and 2.68 meters in height. It was showcased for the first time at the STAYREAL exclusive pop-up store at the Shanghai stop. This model, inspired by the STAYREAL MOJO Bus series, uses 370,000 LEGO® bricks and took 960 hours to complete.
Inspiration Behind the Creation of MOJO BUS
Jiang shared that the idea for MOJO BUS was not conceived specifically for the Shanghai event. He originally envisioned creating a 3D bus model during the first stop in Beijing earlier this year, but due to time constraints, it was only realized at the Shanghai stop.
Initially, Jiang had considered different formats for the work, such as a 3D stand with hollowed-out windows where fans could stick their heads through for photos. However, after considering the aesthetics and overall presentation of the MOJO BUS as well as the event space’s flow, he ultimately decided on a model fixed to the wall.
"Since the members of the MOJO Family are spread out in a staggered way, we decided to use a 2.5D relief format for this LEGO® model," Jiang explained. Unlike flat LEGO® mosaic art, this 2.5D style vividly captures the playful charm of the MOJO Family.
Detail Design of MOJO BUS
The exquisite presentation of MOJO BUS is the result of the team's meticulous attention to every detail. Given the model's large size, Jiang and his team took transportation and installation into account during the design phase, dividing the model into four sections to be built and installed separately. One of the more time-consuming and challenging aspects was the color segmentation, which had to be done manually, requiring both patience and precision.
Jiang mentioned that the colors used by the original artist, Buer Liang, were quite close to the LEGO® brick colors, making the matching process go relatively smoothly. This coincidence between the model, Jiang, and LEGO® bricks felt like a special connection.
Installation of MOJO BUS
The installation of MOJO BUS took an entire night. One of the biggest challenges was achieving precise alignment. Since many of Jiang's models are built in sections, the installation process required careful attention to alignment. Jiang explained, "When constructing models with large LEGO® plates, there will inevitably be some stress-induced warping or deformation. So, during installation, we need to ensure there are no gaps, which requires careful planning from the start. Because we had done enough preparation, the installation went smoothly."
"STAYREAL Future Post Office": Making New Year Wishes by the Huangpu River
On November 8th, the "STAYREAL Future Post Office" was revealed aboard the Ruirer boat on the Huangpu River. This LEGO® installation was created by Jiang's team as a special feature for the boat. The entire mailbox was constructed from 59,000 LEGO® bricks and took 300 hours to complete. Passengers were invited to write their New Year wishes and place them in the post box at the start of their journey.
Inspiration Behind the STAYREAL Future Post Office
The Future Post Office was originally part of the permanent setup at STAYREAL PARK, with a physical mailbox. This time, with the addition of a boat at the Shanghai stop, STAYREAL's team and Jiang decided to create a unique piece specifically for the boat, leading to the creation of the STAYREAL Future Post Office.
"The red color of the mailbox stands out and gives it a playful, cartoonish feel. Initially, I considered sticking to the traditional green color of the original mailbox, but I realized the red version would be more vibrant against the surrounding backdrop," Jiang explained. Since this post box was intended for actual letter posting, his team added small mechanisms to ensure the letters could be easily retrieved.
Hidden Easter Egg
Jiang's team added a heartwarming Easter egg to the Future Post Office: when fans lean over the mailbox to drop off their letters, they can spot a hidden "I LOVE STAYREAL" symbol inside. "I originally considered adding light effects or other features, but due to time constraints, we settled on this simple, thoughtful Easter egg. It's a way for us to show how much we love STAYREAL," said Jiang.
Prince Jiang: The "LEGO Dad" of Burp the Carrot
Burp, a character from STAYREAL, has captured the hearts of fans, and Prince Jiang is no exception. "The first time I saw this model was before I began collaborating with STAYREAL. It was A-Shin's profile picture on Xiaohongshu, and I thought it was adorable and kind of cute," he recalled.
Jiang shared that he enjoys cute things, and when he saw that STAYREAL was selling Burp plush toys at the first stop of the park, he immediately requested one. Soon after, Burp became a member of Jiang’s studio, and he now enjoys spending time "rua-ing" the plush carrot.
Interestingly, Jiang even celebrated Burp's birthday by making a LEGO® cake for it, which sparked a heated online discussion, with fans calling him "LEGO Dad."
Prince Jiang: A New Fan of Mayday
In his pinned post on Xiaohongshu, Jiang referred to a photo with Mayday as a "life photo," but he is actually a relatively new fan of the band. Like many of his peers, he had heard Mayday's music on cassette tapes in the early 2000s, but only became an active fan after collaborating with STAYREAL for several months. Through close interactions with the STAYREAL team, including A-Shin and other members, Jiang has grown to connect with Mayday’s music and energy.
"I feel so honored to have met Mayday and to take photos with them. It’s a highlight of my life, and I look forward to more exciting collaborations with STAYREAL in the future."
Prince Jiang: Continuously Exploring the Infinite Possibilities of LEGO®
The two LEGO® works MOJO BUS and STAYREAL Future Post Office represent a fusion of LEGO® art and street culture. Over the past few years, Jiang and his team have engaged in numerous cross-industry collaborations, from luxury goods to fashion, fast-moving consumer goods, the internet, automotive, and real estate. These diverse partnerships have enriched their experience in exploring new ways to "play" with LEGO® bricks.
In 2024, Jiang will collaborate with LEGO® China to create a special Chinese New Year event in Beijing, where they will showcase a large LEGO® model, "潮聚新春", using over 170,000 bricks. In 2022, he worked with Louis Vuitton to create a winter wonderland using LEGO® bricks for nearly 60 stores across China, and in 2021, his team crafted a fully functional, road-worthy LEGO® version of the SAIC Feifan R7 car at the Chengdu International Auto Show.
Jiang’s passion for exploring the infinite possibilities of LEGO® bricks shows no signs of slowing down, and he looks forward to bringing more innovative and creative works to fans in the future.