Medium: Acrylic on canvas with gold paint and extensive 22k gold leaf application,
finished with Liquitex Matte Varnish
Size: F50 (116.7 x 91 cm)
Year: 2025
Location: Japan Ueno Tsubame-yu
 
Signature located at the bottom corner on the front
Date, title, and medium inscribed on the back of the canvas
Includes a signed Certificate of Authenticity
 
This piece was completed during a three-week stay in Japan, where I immersed myself in the local culture while creating art. It marks the first work in my “Giant Animals in Japan” series and also signifies a personal turning point: after over a decade of focusing on digital illustration, this is my first return to hand-painted work—executed in acrylic on a large scale. Uniquely, it is also my first experimental attempt at self-learning and applying traditional Japanese gold leafing techniques.
The inspiration comes from Tokyo’s Ueno—a fascinating district where everyday life blends seamlessly with popular tourist landmarks. In the painting, the panda has left the zoo; it is no longer a passive subject to be observed, but an active presence escaping into human spaces. It enters the iconic public bathhouse Tsubame-yu, a symbolic place in Japanese urban life. As one of Tokyo’s long-standing sento, Tsubame-yu is more than just a place for bathing—it is a physical and emotional sanctuary for locals, and a living embodiment of Japan’s intangible cultural heritage of communal bathing.
 
Note
A small section was carefully removed from the back of the canvas for archival material testing. This does not affect the visual integrity or structural stability of the artwork. The test was conducted to ensure the long-term durability and authenticity of the materials used.