Ok La! Lucky Cat Artwork

Description:

Louise Hill: My ‘Ok La! Lucky Cat’ design is a fun take on the much loved phrase we so often use in Hong Kong and other countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, it is literally a friendly laid back way of saying ‘it’s ok’ or ‘yes I accept’. Here I have combined it with the iconic ‘Lucky Cat’ that we see all over Asia with a fresh and light colour palette.

The famous Maneki-Neko cat figure originates from Japan but has been adopted by many Asian countries to place as a token of good luck in the front windows of businesses and restaurants. The cat is traditionally believed to beckon and invite in good luck, prosperity, and good fortune and is often placed facing incoming customers on counters next to money tills.

I have based this design around the cat as the central character, and have surrounded him with other little references to daily life in Asia. The little embroidered fish came from some fabric that I found in an online vintage shop and are also seen as a symbol of wealth, wellbeing and prosperity, in modern Chinese, yù (裕), meaning "abundance". The waves were a part of a dragon frieze I photographed outside the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Singapore and used little pieces of it to create my own pattern.

The famous Black & White Tea is a Hong Kong-style milk tea, often referred to as “silk-stocking” milk tea or ‘sī maht náaihchà ‘ and was brewed and poured through a thin cotton bag to remove any impurities and give it a silky texture . The tea leaves stained the bag to resemble the caramel colour of ladies stockings, hence the nickname. The brand is well known for its evaporated milk and is made with Ceylon black tea. Super strong and creamy, this tea will put hairs on your chest and was originally made for labourers who enjoyed a strong caffeine hit. Similarly in the UK this kind of tea is also known as having ‘a cup of builders tea’!

Size:

STRETCHED CANVAS (Image size edge to edge stretched over frame) + UNFRAMED ETCHING PAPER (printed image size)

Extra Small 13 W x 17.5 H inches | 33 W x 44 H cm

Small 20 W x 27 H inches  |  51 W x 68 H cm

Medium 26 W x 35 H inches  |  66 W x 89 H cm

Large 30.5 W x 41 H inches  |  77 W x 104 H cm

FULLY FRAMED ETCHING PAPER

Small 29 W x 36 H inches  |  74 W x 91 H cm

Medium 35 W x 44 H inches  |  89 W x 112 H cm

Large 39.5 W x 50 H inches  | 100 W x 127 H cm

HAHNEMUHLE GERMAN ETCHING PAPER

German Hahnemuhle 310gsm Etching Paper is a high quality thick watercolour paper and comes with a 1” inch border around the image. Printed in archival Giclee inks, the prints retain their beautiful vibrancy in colour and are guaranteed not to fade for 80+ years.

Construction: Printed onto cotton canvas in durable high quality Giclee Inks.  Artwork is hand stretched onto a wooden frame which is one and a half inches thick with a white border.

Country of Origin: Hong Kong

Additional Information: Printed in archival Giclee inks onto fine 310gsm German Hahnemuhle etching paper or 100% cotton canvas. Each print comes with a hand signed & embossed ‘Certificate of Authenticity’ sticker on the back.