If you managed to stop by the viral feline-centric Cats in a Floating World exhibition last year, you’d probably have noticed a particular artwork of an apron-wearing white cat, along with a whiteboard sketch of the same character. Those would be the masterpieces of Saito Sho, a Japanese artist who specialises in paintings of animals. Now, even more pieces by the Tokyoite are on display at Singapore’s I.F. Gallery as part of Wisps in the Enchanted Garden – his first-ever overseas solo exhibition.
Saito Sho’s art style is simple, colourful, and imaginative – much like what you’d see in a children’s storybook. Behind the simplicity of his illustrations are little stories that only serve to make each painting more delightful and meaningful. Some even touch on the complexities of human relationships.
This particular exhibition is a little different from his usual ones; In preparation of this three-month-long showcase, the artist himself made his maiden visit to Singapore for a bit of city exploration. The result? All-new artworks with little touches of Singapore peppered throughout.
Some examples include pandas swimming in the iconic infinity pool at Marina Bay Sands and enjoying a ride on the Singapore Flyer; the Merlion chilling by the beach with a raft of ducks; rabbits dancing against the view of our city’s skyline at night; as well as familiar motifs of local delicacies like durian and stingray.
Of course, quintessential Japanese icons such as Ultraman, Godzilla, and cherry blossoms are also present in homage to Saito’s own cultural background.
Don’t just admire the paintings for their aesthetic quality, because the little descriptions next to each one are fully worth a read. Not to worry, they’re nothing like the lengthy head-numbing abstract ones that you’d find in a lot of other contemporary museums; These short and sweet – and sometimes, ironic – snippets just make each piece even more adorable.
One of our favourites is Penguin Fight, where two penguins are sparring with each other using a hammerhead shark and sawfish. The accompanying caption reads, “A fight is about to break out over the small fish they caught. But neither of them realise they’re holding a much bigger fish.” We won’t spoil the rest for you, but the bottom line is: pay attention to the wordings for the full experience.
Though paint is his primary art medium, Saito also dabbles in wooden animal sculptures, all of which are painstakingly handcrafted and hand-painted. You’ll find a collection of one-of-a-kind ones at the gallery, and these, along with every painting displayed, are all up for sale.
Saito’s works aside, the towering Ship’s Cat statue by Kenji Yanobe is also still being displayed in the gallery. And if you previously missed out on its smaller gachapon versions that were sold out in a jiffy, you’ll be glad to know that they’ve since been restocked and are still available at time of writing.
Wisps in the Enchanted Garden runs till May 30, 2025 from 12pm to 8.30pm daily. As usual, entry to I.F. Gallery is free of charge, so head on down for a little art adventure during your office lunch break or between café-hopping in the area. Need some ideas? The gallery is right next to the newly opened Koko Café & Patisserie, and not too far from other popular spots like Corner Corner and Butter Tgt.
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