Do you ever feel lonely?
Life is going on around us that we don’t always
feel like a part of it.
Loneliness comes from a sense of worthlessness
that can be caused by lack of companionship,
not feeling understood, or seen.
How painful it is to feel that we don’t belong?
You reach out to people, seeking for some connections.
But how difficult it is to show yourself, to be vulnerable.
When you know the pain of not being accepted,
where do you find the courage?
Kyo Kayamoto’s illustration series “Off Balance” portray the instability of life and anxiety that comes with it.
Cute animal characters have their own struggles, yet they desperately seek love and connection. They encourage vulnerability and kindness towards others and to yourself, but above all, they invite you to our journey of finding love and peace of mind.
Grumpy faced “Daruma” is always left alone; sitting on his own, minding his own business.
But the long arms that picked him up are the
ones of a white tiger.
A s beautiful as the tiger, his eyes speak his fear and loneliness. Their eyes meet quietly, examine each other carefully.
But won’t you think something magical might happen between them?
The inner child: the younger version of yourself who carries
the unhealed wounds that still affects you today.
Little mice are running around and making lion’s life a little
mess. Without knowing how to control the environment,
he sits timidly and look into the mirror showing himself
as a child. Often, we interpret the world with our self-written narrative from our younger age, which can contribute to having unsuitable reaction or decision making from the present situation. But your narrative can be altered and rewritten, which could sort out the seemingly tangled thoughts and chaotic feelings inside of you.
Are you falling or floating?
Without being able to cling onto anything,
you don’t know if you should leave.
Will you choose to stay or leave for a better place? Where is happiness? What is friendship?
How do you navigate life? When will you be sure? More you look for answers, you keep finding more questions.
If one thing would have been different, would everything be different? Could things have worked out? We tend to idealize the past and wonder if things might have been better then than now. But you can’t change the past. Clinging onto the past is living in a fantasy world.
The purple cat is haunted by the cat ghost while there are other cats that are interested. The pumpkins represent fun, exciting, and unknown opportunities, and the cats in them are potential mates that the main cat should be facing instead.
Grumpy faced “Daruma” is always left alone; sitting on his own, minding his own business.
But the long arms that picked him up are the
ones of a white tiger.
A s beautiful as the tiger, his eyes speak his fear and loneliness. Their eyes meet quietly, examine each other carefully.
But won’t you think something magical might happen between them?
You are okay, bunny.
Cry hard, sleep well, hold yourself tight.
When you are heat broken, when you feel like
your life is falling apart, what do you do?
Do you sit in your room still? Does your pillow
become your best friend? Do you roam around
looking for a way out? Do you just let yourself
feel like falling?
It’s okay, it’s okay, you are okay.
Be kind to yourself, take care of yourself and in time, I’m sure you will find your way back to feel better.
Dive in if you dare
Pink bunny diving into a sweet-looking crocodile’s arms. Will the bunny get a nice hug or get eaten? In the crocodile’s pool, there are tiny ducks swimming or drowning in the party.
Is the party as fun as it looks? Is it luring you to go down the rabbit hole? Or is it brave to jump into the crocodile’s arms?
The Santa Clause is so busy in the Christmas season.
Or not?
What is he thinking, staring blankly towards the flying
squirrel? The Santa Clause has reindeers to fly him
anywhere, and all the elves helping him out for his
big day. Above all, children all over the world are
longing for his arrival. Is he exhausted and feeling
envious of the flying squirrel who’s living a different life?
These illustrations are available as canvas prints and postcards.
And stuffed animals (plush toys) based on the characters that appear in the illustrations are sold at events and some shops.
I believe stuffed animals are more than just cute and fluffy,
but they have the warmth that we crave from people and animals.
I hope that the friendship, fluffy toys give will help smooth the anxiety and loneliness people feel all around the world.
