Curly Cat 2

It wakes up just a little and opens its eyes.

After making sure I am beside it, it feels safe and falls asleep again.

When I realize that I am a source of comfort for you, I feel myself becoming gentler too.

Thank you for staying by my side.

少しだけ起きて、目を開ける。

私が隣にいるのを確認して、また安心して眠る。

あなたの安心になっているんだなと思うと、私もとても優しくなれる。

そばにいてくれてありがとう。

Measurement: 35cm (h) x 50cm (w)

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.