Fashion brands constantly collaborate with artists to not only establish a patronage image but also to get positive inspiration. But these projects are often carried out offline, perhaps limiting the wider accessibility the brand would hope for.

To reach a more global audience, Gucci unveiled the second series of its collaborative digital art project titled #GucciGram late last month. The project, which was initiated by the Italian luxury brand’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, began last October.

A range of international artists working in diverse fields, including three Koreans, were asked to create artworks for social media channels like Instagram under the theme “Tian,” a Chinese word which refers to sky or heaven. For the first series, another group of artists created works using Gucci Blooms and Gucci Caleido patterns.

As the Tian motif was inspired by China, Gucci said in a statement that it decided to invite artists from Asia for the second installment. According to Gucci, the new Tian pattern features “delicate and sophisticated beauty of flowers and birds often seen on Chinese landscapes of the 10th century.”

Among the Korean artists, Kim Jae-suk created an illustration using the Tian pattern and a woman dressed in Gucci holding two of the brand’s most iconic bags, leaning against a tree. Artist Kim Shin-young used birds, flowers and butterflies to create a harmonious yet dynamic pattern on black background. And artist Lee Gyu-tae’s work is more like a cityscape painting of a city immersed in dreamy clouds.

These and other works can be viewed on the brand’s microsite at gucci.com/guccigram-tian. They were also uploaded to various social media channels including Instagram and Facebook, together with reviews and explanations of each artwork by critics.

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [sharon@joongang.co.kr]