Izumi Kato

Shimane, Japan, 1969

            Izumi Kato has established himself as one of the most distinctive Japanese artists in contemporary art, creating a visual universe that moves with unique sensitivity between the human and the ethereal. Born in the rural prefecture of Shimane, surrounded by mountains and sea, Kato grew up immersed in Shinto and animist traditions, near the historic Izumo Ōyashiro shrine—one of the oldest in the religion. These spiritual influences marked his childhood and are reflected in his work, which explores the boundaries between the tangible and the mystical. Kato studied at Musashino Art University in Tokyo, where he graduated with a degree in oil painting in 1992, although his true artistic career took off around the age of 30, when he found his own voice by rebelling against traditional academic techniques.

            His work is characterized by figures that inhabit a liminal space: humanoid beings with unsettling faces, often children with disturbing features, embryos with developed limbs, or figures with bulbous heads and slender bodies that evoke both tenderness and unease. Kato uses an intuitive and visceral technique, applying paint directly with his hands rather than brushes, which allows for precise control over gradients and textures. His sculptures combine diverse materials such as camphor wood, stone, textiles, and soft vinyl—carved and assembled with a tactile quality reminiscent of animist totems. This style, which blends contrasting colors and flat forms with echoes of primitive art and Japanese pop culture (such as the films of Hayao Miyazaki), creates a supernatural pantheon that challenges hierarchies between high art and the popular, an approach that has resonated widely on the global stage.

            Kato’s institutional recognition solidified with his participation in the 52nd Venice Biennale in 2007, where curator Robert Storr invited him to exhibit in the Italian Pavilion, making him the first young Japanese artist to gain significant attention at the event. His work has been featured in major museums such as the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo (2019), the Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing (2020), and the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia (2021). It is also part of permanent collections at institutions like the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo and the National Museum of Art, Osaka. Through his practice, Kato not only redefines the boundaries between the physical and the spiritual but also invites viewers into an instinctive dialogue with their own humanity—a poetic reflection on the primordial connections that transcend cultural barriers.