Art Illustrations
#cats #drawing #ink #Rain Szeto #watercolor
April 17, 2023
Kate Mothes
“Cat Hours.” All images © Rain Szeto, shared with permission
In Rain Szeto’s intricately rendered fictional universe, people partake in work and hobbies surrounded by stacks of books, snacks, merchandise, and keepsakes. His detailed illustrations (previously) depict the organized chaos of daily activities in domestic spaces and in shops, cafes and outdoor spaces. Typically centered around a single character like a baker behind a counter or a figure carrying a flowerpot, the scenes are filled with everyday objects, providing a lived-in feeling that is brimming with colorful energy.
Based in San Francisco, Szeto began working in comics while studying art, which furthered her interest in narrative drawings. Specific details such as the design of food packaging, an elaborate audio mixer setup, or pastries in a glass display case suggest individual hobbies, jobs, and personalities distinctive enough to be mistaken for real locations. . Many of his recent pieces also feature feline friends passing confidently or snuggling up on cushions, including an orange tabby that might as well make the rounds of any inviting space.
Most of these works are visible until April 26 in Szeto’s personal exhibition Moments of inactivity too at Giant Robot’s GR2 site in Los Angeles. Find more of his work on Instagram.

“Breads”

“Movie of the Afternoon”

“Checked”

Left: “Lunch break”. Right: “Spring”

“Corner Shop”

“First customer”

“Noodles”

“Cat Shop”

“Smoked fish”

“Summer Waves”
#cats #drawing #ink #Rain Szeto #watercolor
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