Rain Szeto

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A detailed watercolor and ink illustration of a small cafe with a figure in the center serving a fish to a cat. Another cat is curled up on a stool.

“Cat Hours.” All images © Rain Szeto, shared with permission

In Rain Szeto’s intricately rendered fictional universe, people partake in work and pastimes surrounded by stacks of books, snacks, merchandise, and mementos. Her detailed illustrations (previously) portray the organized chaos of everyday activities in domestic spaces and in shops, cafes, and outdoor areas. Typically centered around a single character like a baker behind a counter or a figure carrying a pot of flowers, the scenes are filled with with quotidian objects, providing a lived-in feeling that brims with colorful energy.

Based in San Francisco, Szeto began working in comics during art school, which cemented her interest in narrative drawings. Specific details like the design of food packaging, an elaborate audio mixer setup, or pastries in a glass case suggest individual hobbies, jobs, and personalities distinctive enough that they could be mistaken for real places. Many of her recent pieces also feature feline friends that stride by confidently or curl up on cushions, including an orange tabby that could just as well be making the rounds to all of the inviting spaces.

Most of these works are on view through April 26 in Szeto’s solo exhibition Idle Moments Too at Giant Robot’s GR2 location in Los Angeles. Find more of her work on Instagram.

A detailed watercolor and ink illustration of a bakery with many trays of pastries and breads. A baker looks at a sleeping cat on the counter.

“Loaves”

A detailed watercolor and ink illustration of a figure in his living room at a table with a hot beverage, and a sleeping cat next to him.

“Afternoon Movie”

A detailed watercolor and ink illustration of a figure standing behind a counter, surrounded by hundreds of packages of food. He is scanning a package and appears "checked out."

“Checked Out”

Two detailed watercolor and ink illustrations. On the left, a man sits at a small table and eats lunch while a cat also sits on the table and eats. On the right, an orange tabby cat with a flower in its mouth walks by a man carrying a potted plant.

Left: “Lunch Break.” Right: “Springtime”

A detailed watercolor and ink illustration of a figure sitting inside of a densely stocked food shop.

“Corner Shop”

A detailed watercolor and ink illustration of a shopkeeper standing behind a counter, and a calico cat has just walked through the open door.

“First Customer”

A detailed watercolor and ink illustration of a young man sitting on a chair with an electric guitar, surrounded by keyboards and sound mixing equipment.

“Noodlin'”

A detailed watercolor and ink illustration of a well-stocked shop full of food with a satisfied-looking orange tabby cat sitting in the center.

“Shop Cat”

A detailed watercolor and ink illustration of a small fish shop with a shopkeeper standing outside the front door.

“Smoked Fish”

A detailed watercolor and ink illustration of a young figure sitting on the floor in a house, looking through records. An orange cat sleeps on a table outside on the balcony.

“Summer Waves”

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Illustration

Watercolor and Ink Illustrations Imagine Cluttered Rooms and Well-Stocked Shops

March 30, 2022

Grace Ebert

Packed within Rain Szeto’s introspective works are untidy kitchens, cluttered market shelves, and mechanical disarray. The San Francisco-based illustrator finds magic in the mess and chaos of everyday life and imagines solitary activities like hanging laundry on the line or browsing record bins. Dreamy in color, the pieces exude a sense of calm and nostalgia for quiet moments.

Each work is replete with colorful objects stacked and assembled into tight spaces, a style Szeto developed drawing comics in art school. “These details range from technical details, such as electrical mechanisms or a lamp design, to more personal quirks, such as how someone might arrange their garden or a particular plastic stool they might use,” she tells Colossal. “I try to give them a sense of specificity that makes it feel as though these places could really exist.”

Szeto is currently working on pieces for a few upcoming group shows at Giant Robot in Los Angeles, and you can find prints and more of her detailed illustrations on her site and Instagram. (via Booooooom)