Niyaz Huseynzade 
Sakura Hanafusa is a Japanese sculptor who creates whimsical cat sculptures that frequently include various foods, such as veggies, sweets, and biscuits. A fluffy-haired creature peers out from underneath a vanilla ice cream cone in one of the cat sculptures, while a smiling pair embraces mushrooms and acorns in another. Hanafusa’s expressions are both adorable and playful, with many prompting interactions and imitations, such as the seven cats pawing for high fives.
The distinctive features of the characters, like noses, paws, and whiskers, are carved in camphor before being painted with oil paint. The characters are inspired by family and friends’ animals who have mischievous grins or bashful coy looks. A few of Hanafusa’s creations are the size of real animals, while others fit into the palm of a hand, and some blend in with other things, such as his felines with orange satsuma bodies.
To see more of Hanafusa’s work, go to the artist’s website and Instagram.
