In Reward the First to Go, Kanako Ozawa presents a quietly poetic scene ofdiscovery and offering. Two rounded figures, simple and endearing, stand oneither side of a slender, delicate plant crowned with vivid blue flowers. One figurepoints toward the plant while the other lifts a tiny branch or sprout in a gesture ofgiving—or perhaps in homage.

Ozawa’s mastery of minimalism is again evident: a stark white ground textured likeplaster serves as the backdrop, allowing the tender details—the curling stems, theshy flowers, the tiny limbs of the figures—to pulse with life. The figures, sculptedfrom acrylic, clay, and sand, feel almost weightless, yet deeply rooted in thematerial world through their modeled forms and subtle shading.

This small, luminous encounter evokes the wonder of first discovery—thereverence for life that stirs before words. In its simplicity, Reward the First to Gotouches something primal: the instinct to recognize, to honor, and to give thanksto what grows before us.