Good Things Come In Pairs by Oi Yee Tai (2016)

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Description Artist: Tai Oi YeeWebsite: oystudio.comThis is the painting I was commissioned in 2013 to do for the CEO of the Toronto Zoo commemorating the arrival of the giant pandas in Toronto, I wanted to give it a Canadian-Chinese feel, so instead of using Chinese ink on rice paper, I brushed the ink on canvas. Though unconventional, it did give the pandas a more Western feel, and served as a sign that they would fit well in our Canadian environment. I gave it the title 'Good Things Come In Pairs' (), an auspicious Chinese saying, which I wrote in Chinese calligraphy on the painting. Little did I know that two and half years later, one of the giant pandas would give birth to twin cubs, right here in Toronto! Good things do come in pairs! The Toronto Zoo then commissioned me to produce 300 signed limited edition prints adapting the original painting to celebrate the arrival of the panda cubs. There was a public vote for naming the newborn panda babies, and those commissioned prints included the names, and were gifts to VIP guests (including the Canadian Prime Minister, Chinese Ambassador, Ontario Premier and Toronto Mayor) at the ceremony held at the zoo on March 7, 2016 revealing the panda names and introducing the babies to the public.

Oi Yee Tai, Canada
Member Since December 2010
Artist Statement The two sides of me...

My sumi paintings are essentially monochromatic. I find boundless freedom in expressing myself through different shades of black, white and grey. I love to use minimal strokes capturing the essence while leaving enough white space for the viewer's imagination. (http://www.oystudio.com)

With acrylic, watercolor and oil, I feel like a 4 year old child rolling on the floor coating myself with all the different colors I love. Unlike my Chinese ink paintings, I fill the canvas with so much color that it might be suffocating for you but I am having so much fun I just want to share it with you too. (http://www.oystudio.com/playful)