The Great Wave of Tayto

An original painting by Alexis Bannerman 2022

Available as a framed print in various sizes and price ranges, from postcard prints to museum quality limited prints!

About 'The Great Wave of Tayto' by Alexis

The Great Wave was inspired by my partner Chloe's favorite painting, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, a woodblock print that was made by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai, probably in late 1831 during the Edo period of Japanese history. The original print depicts three boats moving through a storm-tossed sea with a large wave forming a spiral in the centre and Mount Fuji visible in the background. In my version, there is just one boat, with the iconic Irish crisp character Mr Tayto, bravely battling the crisp waves and elements!

I love creating cultural bridges with my artwork. A Japanese friend in Kinsale helped me with the Japanese calligraphy: the Letters down the side read アレクシス; my name in Japanese, and the name on the boat is the phonetic translation of the word ' Potato'. The Extra Large Museum Prints of The Great Wave of Tayto are my first limited edition print, so I numbered each boat (on each print) Potato 1, then Potato 2, up to Potato 100!

The composition of The Original Great Wave is a synthesis of traditional Japanese prints and Western perspective, and it deeply inspired the Impressionists work and outlook. The Great Wave off Kanagawa has also been described as possibly the most reproduced image in the history of all art. 

The Wave has directly influenced several notable artists and musicians, including Vincent van Gogh, Claude Debussy, Claude Monet, and Hiroshige. It is therefore inevitable that the iconic Mr Tayto would be placed within the context of this classic masterpiece.

Our museum quality prints are:

 -Hand signed and titled by the Artist Alexis Bannerman.

-The Extra Large Museum Prints of The Great Wave of Tayto are my first limited edition print, so I numbered each boat (on each print) Potato 1, then Potato 2, up to Potato100!

- Framed with solid wood, sizes medium and above are made with uv proof, shatterproof glass, safe for the family home. The frames are Irish made.

-The prints are printed and mounted by Chloe in our Kinsale studio.

-We print with Giclée ink (that lasts up to 200 years, 70 years in direct sunlight), using only museum grade, archive paper.