Gomatsu didn’t plan to illustrate 80 cats of Taiwan in one day... but he did

You may remember Gomatsu from a previous It’s Nice That article, where he described his charming cat illustrations as a “single meaningful panel”. Now, Gomatsu’s drawings are evolving with a single goal – packing in more personality and character. Recently, the illustrator tackled an unpredictable creative challenge with an (initially unplanned) cat drawing stall at a cat supplies expo in Taiwan, which resulted in 80 individual drawings, now titled The Cats of Taiwan.

The illustrator started with a simple sign set up at a table, which soon began to attract cat owners looking to have their pets immortalised in cartoon. A cat expo is certainly a creative hotbed for an artist fixated on cats, and having a chance to step away from the studio desk, communicate directly with fellow cat lovers gave Gomatsu a new perspective on his artistry and subject material.

Each pet expresses their own personality; the illustrations are simple, yet tell us so much about each individual cat. Gomatsu captured each in a specific moment, and then amplified the action, expression or energy through his characterful drawings. Brown is holding a cold, rigid blank stare while 노호유 is caught mid-clean. Yuki has a mischievous grin, and Bao looks like a stern bouncer (definitely not letting you in).

There were mistakes dotted along the way, but Gomatsu recognises them as a core part of the creative process, and soon into the process he developed the ability to “quickly recognise features and express them in a fun way with minimal lines”. He says these drawings “naturally emerged from having to observe quickly, react instantly, and capture each cats charm within a short time.” It was physically tiring and difficult, but with each new connection and each new energetic pet, Gomatsu experienced no boredom. He also got great satisfaction from seeing customers take their drawings home with “joy,” the illustrator says.

This new creative avenue is far from a one off. Gomatsu plans to step into painting, 3D modelling and “creating special limited-edition merchandise for those who enjoy my work,” he says, with market pop-ups and books planned for the near future.