A must-see exhibition for reptile lovers is currently being held at the Sapporo "TO OV cafe / gallery", featuring 24 reptile paintings with intricately detailed scale textures and patterns. This is the first solo exhibition by Shuya Misawa, a young artist who won the Newcomer Award at the 98th Do-ten Exhibition. Don't miss out on the works filled with love for reptiles!

The life-size Iguana rhinolopha was drawn with careful attention to size proportions, based on the actual size of a captive specimen of the same species.

Green iguanas, Lesser Antillean iguanas, blue-tongued skinks... 24 reptile paintings greet you as you open the door to TO OV cafe / gallery. This is the first solo exhibition by Shuya Misawa, whose copperplate print "Billion Years of Struggle" won him the Newcomer's Award at the 98th Do-ten Exhibition held last October, and is a noteworthy exhibition filled with the charm of reptiles that has fascinated him for many years.

"The very existence of reptiles stimulates the imagination, from the uncertainty of their facial expressions to the texture and patterns of their scales," says Misawa. He keeps more than 10 reptiles at home, and some of the works on display depict a green iguana that he keeps as a pet.

"Leia" watercolor paper, millimeter pen A4 Not for sale

"Lance" watercolor paper, millimeter pen A4 Not for sale

"I want to capture the characteristics of each animal as much as possible," says Misawa. Since he keeps them, he sometimes touches them and observes them. The detailed drawings are born from the observations, and the arrangement of the fine scales and the texture of the smooth parts are captivating the more you look at them.

A part of "Iguana rhinolopha"

A series of copperplate prints produced using techniques such as etching and aquatint.

Misawa studied copperplate engraving at a vocational school, and says, "I was attracted to the fact that it allows for a deeper touch than pen drawings, and that the detailed expression can create a unique atmosphere." My personal favorite is "Vigilance" (leftmost in the photo above), which was created using aquatint and etching! The light and dark shades of black unique to aquatint match the atmosphere of Misawa's green iguana and are incredibly cool. This is a piece that you should definitely see in person at the venue.

"IGUANA REFERENCE BOOK" explains the ecology and species of iguanas

Mr. Misawa has been fascinated with dinosaurs and reptiles since he was a child. Since he started keeping lizards in the fourth grade of elementary school, he has observed them in real life every day, and when he doesn't keep a lizard, he goes to sales events to observe them. He has also been looking at magazines and illustrated books for 12 years without getting bored. His interest in reptiles has come to fruition in the form of his self-produced "IGUANA REFERENCE BOOK."

The exhibit explains the characteristics and types of green iguanas, including that "although there are differences, some individuals can remember where the toilet is and their own names, and can communicate in simple ways." It is recommended to read this before viewing each piece.

In addition to the works shown, smaller works and postcards are also available for purchase at the counter.

"I would be happy if people who see the exhibition become even a little interested in reptiles, or even start to like them," says Misawa. He will be in the gallery on weekends, so please feel free to tell him what you think of the works.

The green iguana provided specially for us and the photographer himself. So cute!!!

By the way, at Gallery So, a 5-minute walk from TO OV cafe/gallery, Misawa's copperplate print teacher, Akemi Nishimura's solo exhibition "rubyculus" will be held from July 5th (Saturday) (until July 20th). Don't miss this too!

Check it out too!