Two Papier-mache Cats in Blue and White Aprons

There is a subtle distance between the two cats. Maybe they are nervous around each other, but it feels like they will become friends very soon. 青と白のエプロンのはりこ猫 Measurement: 59cm x 54cm / Original painting on brown rice paper About the artist: Kanako Okamoto is a Japanese illustrator and picture book author born in Kyoto. Based between Tokyo and Malaysia, she creates picture books, editorial illustrations, and commissioned works for publishing, museums, and brands. Her notable projects include illustrations for UNIQLO Sustainability’s The Power of Clothing: The Journey of Clothes and a large-scale mural for the Insect Exhibition at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo. In 2022, she published her picture book Swim Back Home (Oyoide Ie ni Kaeritai). Influenced by years of swimming and artistic swimming, her work captures the gentle flow and quiet rhythms of everyday life.