The art of piracy

“It’s impossible to define what pirates really are, what they really do, and that brings so much freedom in terms of what we can imagine” says Livia Giorgina Carpineto. 

Carpineto is known for her evocative, richly layered illustrations, which combine traditional and digital techniques. Her distinctive style has been featured by The New York Times Book Review, Bloomberg and Rolling Stone. 

Her illustrative series Pirate Queen was commissioned by Royal Museums Greenwich as part of a project to showcase less well represented stories of piracy. Now on display in the Pirates exhibition at the National Maritime Museum, Carpineto’s triptych is inspired by the life of Zheng Yi Sao. The pirate chief operated a vast fleet in the South China Sea during the early 19th century and is hailed as one of the most successful pirates of all time. 

From delving into the lives of historical figures to embracing creative freedom, Carpineto gives an insight into the making of her piece.

Pirate Queen is a series of illustrations that offer a glimpse into the story of Zheng Yi Sao. 

I was drawn to her because she was truly a radically unconventional woman. She was able to subvert all kinds of limitations and stereotypes associated with her gender and socio-economic background. Her life is outstanding – it's hard to believe that a story like this belongs to history, not fiction! 

My illustrations depict three scenes on a boat at different times of day. The illustrations show the coastline of Guangdong in southeast China – where Sao was based. The first image, set at dawn, references Sao’s past: trading secrets in the brothel where she grew up. 

This is followed by a second image, occurring later in the day, which portrays a pirate drowning during a typhoon. 

I took inspiration from the following quote, attributed to Ch’ang P’aou, lieutenant to the pirate queen: “We are but smoke in the wind, mere swells of the sea in a typhoon, like broken bamboo canes flowing thither and sinking, up and down, with no thought of rest.”

I feel that this quote captures the instability and fleeting nature of piracy and life at sea. It’s also more broadly symbolic of the ephemerality of unrecorded histories and identities that are destined to fade with memory and time.

The final image is set at night-time, and features Zheng Yi Sao duelling a rival male pirate. It's based on one of her few known portraits, in which she's shown defeating an opponent. A group of male pirates look on in astonishment. 

I wanted my image to feel more intimate and focus on the tension between her and her rival. The image also hints at her life after piracy, when she ran a gambling business.

Despite being the most successful pirate in history, Zheng Yi Sao hasn’t influenced western piracy narratives and stereotypes. I found this shocking – and quite significant – and wanted my work to focus on her remarkable life.

It was very special to work with the curatorial team, who shared knowledge and sources – and gave me access to incredible archival material. 

The illustrated journals of Dr Edward Cree, compiled during his travels in China in the 19th century, enabled me to picture the clothes of the pirates, as well as the landscapes and vessels along the Chinese coast.  

Another inspiration was the diary of Mr Glasspoole, an East India Company officer who was held captive by Zheng Yi Sao’s fleet in 1809. His account contains interesting descriptions of the Chinese pirates and their leader. 

While there are written accounts of Zheng Yi Sao’s life, there aren’t many visual representations of her. I had free rein to create my own image of the pirate queen, which was a challenge – but also liberating!

It's very exciting to have my artwork featured in a piracy exhibition at the world’s largest maritime museum. Working on this project has been a very immersive experience – almost like accessing a vast and picturesque world of imagination.

What would you like visitors to feel when they see your work?

Pirate Queen aims to delve into the stories of lesser-known figures from piracy and explore history from a different point of view. 

It was important that the piece felt atmospheric and evocative: that the viewer entered another dimension. The illustrations are made up of different layers – such as the scenes pictured within the windows of the boat – and it's up to the viewer to then connect these references to Zheng Yi Sao’s life story.

The illustrations are purposefully ambiguous too: they could take place in the past or the future. The vignetted backgrounds are almost like theatre stages, offering glimpses into imaginary and historical worlds.

I really wanted this work to feel quite modern, combining both traditional and digital techniques. The textured backgrounds were made on paper using dried pigment, which is almost like a dust, applied with a sponge. I then scanned the illustrations and developed them using Photoshop, adding in colours and details and making the elements more defined.

I want to communicate that Zheng Yi Sao’s story has the potential to inspire new mythologies connected to the theme of piracy, which feel more historically accurate, inclusive and relevant to today’s world.