Artistic Existence // Izumi Kato

Portraying Vitality

Izumi Kato was born in 1969 in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. He attended Musashino Art University, graduating from the Department of Oil Painting in 1992. Now, Izumi spends one-third of his year in Japan, one-third in Hong Kong, and the remaining time traveling worldwide.

As an artist, Izumi's foundational medium is painting. In 2003, he began expanding into creating wooden sculptures. From there, Izumi started produced pieces ranging from two-dimensional paintings to three-dimensional sculptures utilizing soft vinyl, stone, fabrics, and other mediums. He uniquely captures living beings, particularly humans, through his distinctive worldview.

1.“Untitled”, Acrylic on wood, plastic model, soft vinyl, aluminum, stainless steel, 65 x 225 x 65 cm, ©️2023 Izumi Kato

Izumi gained international recognition after being invited to participate in the 2007 Venice Biennale, expanding his reach beyond Japan to the global art scene. He has garnered a dedicated following worldwide.

Some of Izumi's recent major solo exhibitions include the Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing, China, in 2018; Fundación Casa Wabi in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, in 2019; a two-venue exhibition at Hara Museum and Hara Museum ARC in Tokyo and Gunma, Japan, in 2019; and the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, USA, in 2021. Additionally, he has held solo exhibitions at Perrotin Gallery (New York, Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul) since 2014 and at Stephen Friedman Gallery in London in 2022.

Izumi's works are also currently featured in the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo’s exhibition “A Personal View of Japanese Contemporary Art: Takahashi Ryutaro Collection”, on display from August 3 through November 10, 2024.

2. Installation view, “Personal View of Japanese Contemporary Art: Takahashi Ryutaro Collection”, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan, ©️2024 Izumi Kato

Iroha: Tell us about your recent works. You exhibited a video work for the first time at the “100nengo-art-fes” (100 Years After Art Festival) held in Chiba, Japan in May this year.

Izumi: Artist Takeshi Yasura, who served as the curator of that art festival, invited me to participate. He said, “The venue is Kujukuri Beach, and there is good fishing there, so why don't you join us?” I love fishing, so I thought I would definitely participate. However, it was a difficult condition to exhibit my paintings and sculptures in. So Takeshi suggested, “Why don't you draw a picture on the beach?” I chose a day with a spring tide, started painting at low tide, and took a movie of the painting until it was erased by the waves at high tide. As a work of art, I think it was a success. As for the fishing, it was a completely unsuccessful day because there had been a storm the day before.

3.Video work for the art project, “Sammu City Hyakunengo Art Festival”, Chiba, Japan, ©️2024 Izumi Kato

Iroha: What are some of the most memorable exhibitions you've done?

Izumi: Every exhibition is always fresh and fun. In many ways, the most shocking was the 2018 exhibition at the Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing, China in 2018. While China is an Asian country very close to Japan, so many things are different. Even the concept of an art museum is different. The schedule was tight and crazy, and my works did not arrive on time. Regardless, the museum itself was very impressive. Unusually for me, I used fabric for the first time, inspired by the exhibition venue. It resulted in a really cool piece.

4.Installation view, “Izumi Kato”, Red Brick Art Museum, Beijing, China, ©️2018 Izumi Kato

The other was a solo exhibition held simultaneously at the Hara Museum in Tokyo and the Hara Museum ARC in Gunma in 2020. The Tokyo exhibition was all new works, and the Gunma exhibition was a retrospective. If you saw both, you could see everything I have done for the past quarter century. Hara Museum was my favorite museum, so I was glad to see it before it closed.

5.Installation view, “IZUMI KATO- LIKE A ROLLING SNOWBALL”, Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan, ©️2019 Izumi Kato

6.Installation view, “IZUMI KATO- LIKE A ROLLING SNOWBALL”, Hara Museum ARC, Gunma, Japan, ©️2019 Izumi Kato

Iroha: Your works are sometimes eerie, sometimes humorous, and the way they. look changes depending on the place, time, and point of view. There is also a somewhat primitive impression. Is this all intentional?

Izumi: Half of it is intentional, and I make it so that the viewer can think about it. The other half is my tastes or values. I am from the Izumo region of Shimane Prefecture, where mythology, animism, and Shintoism are intermingled in daily life. I guess I feel like a native Indian or an Inuit. It was not until I started working abroad that I realized this environment influenced me. However, it is not that I am conscious of it, but rather that it appears in my work on its own.

7. “Untitled”, Oil on Canvas, 146 x 292 cm, ©️2023 Izumi Kato

Iroha: If you had to give advice to young people, what would it be?

Izumi: What worked for me may not necessarily work for you, but I have nothing to hide with what I know. I don't have any specific advice, but art cannot be made by one person. The work itself is created by oneself, but there are many people involved in getting it out into the world. It is very enjoyable when you feel that you are not working alone. Go to various places and meet people you don't know. It may not help you right now, but it is a valuable human experience for you.

Iroha: When you work in the world, are there times when you are made aware that you are Asian or Japanese?

Izumi: About 30 years ago, when I first went to Europe, I was asked, "Why do you use oil paints even though you’re Japanese?" But nowadays, everyone knows a lot about Japan. They are so interested in Japan that they ask me where I was born in Japan. In the art world, as long as the work is good, it is accepted. However, I would venture to say that Japanese people are at a great disadvantage. This is because the country of Japan does not have a deep understanding of art. I wish people, especially those who have money and politicians, understood it better. I sometimes envy other countries that support artists with their whole countries.

Iroha: Tell us about your upcoming projects.

Izumi: This fall, an exhibition will be held at Ryosokuin in Kyoto, together with an artist from Mexico, Bosco Sodi. We have been friends for 20 years and get along easily because of our similar career paths. His work is dynamic and very different from mine, but we have a similar way of viewing the world. So, our works should be able to harmonize side by side without any discomfort. It is a fun exhibition between friends. The location of the temple is also nice.

8.Publicity image of the exhibition, “黙: Speaking in Silence”, Ryosokuin Zen Temple, Kyoto, Japan, ©️2024 Izumi Kato, ©️2024 Bosco Sodi

Bosco is producing an art residency called Casa Wabi in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. The non-profit foundation connects contemporary art and the local community, and I will be involved this year. The idea is to have two Japanese people under 40 years old who are involved in art, music, or other cultural activities live there every year. I will only provide the money, and a proper curator will serve as the selection committee. We will start accepting applications this fall, so if you are interested, please check it out.

Iroha: What are your interests outside of work?

Izumi: I have many hobbies. Fishing is one. Most importantly, music. It has been a part of my life since I was in school. Growing up, I actually wanted to be a musician rather than a painter. In fact, five or six years ago, I restarted a band with my friends from school. I also formed a band with new artist friends. I now have a record label (Potziland Records) and do live shows. I also make my own books and create plastic models as my artwork. I'm busy every day. Life is more fun when you're an adult.

interview by Naomi Yokoyama / written by Jessica Woolsey / photography: Claire Dorn (portrait) , Kei Okano (1, 7), Vera Tu (2), Tsukasa Uozumi (3), Yusuke Sato (4, 5, 6, 9), Mitsuru Wakabayashi (8) / courtesy of : Perrotin, Potziland Records, Executive Committee"黙: Speaking in Silence"Exhibition

Izumi Kato's Website | Instagram

POTZILAND RECORDS