Izumi Kato hails from Shimane, Japan. Southwest of the island, it’s a spiritual prefecture, holding onto the Shinto, Buddhist and Animist beliefs of a past time. This spirituality shaped Kato’s childhood and is now a recognisable feature of his works; conjuring ethereal creatures that inhabit a space between reality and the spirit worlds. 

His paintings, sculptures, and drawings feature these interesting embryonic aliens that sit within a liminal background of colour, floating in a realm neither here nor there. These empty spaces give as much contextual information as any other part of his work. This is because Kato doesn’t like to add context, the images and sculptures speak for themselves; he doesn’t want to direct the viewer in any way. 

Moreover, he doesn’t create art to ‘explain anything’, stating, “What the viewer thinks of the piece is more important than what I think”, in a 2021 interview. He wants his audience to purely interact with the visual, refraining from any outside distractions.

Yet, he clearly draws inspiration from all parts of his life. For example, the stitching in some works implies his avid fishing. Or his use of found materials, like the rocks which he selects and uses “as [he] finds them” rather than sculpting them after the fact. He then paints life onto these rocks, indicating the aforementioned Animism of his home region. A belief of innate spiritual essence within all things, objects included. 

“I work with my intuition when it comes to choosing materials. It is deep and fascinating to work with a particular material without really knowing why I was drawn to it.” 

Izumi Kato (b. 1969, Shimane, Japan) A contemporary Japanese artist known for his enigmatic, otherworldly figures that blend human and spiritual elements. Graduating from Musashino Art University in 1992, Kato initially pursued painting before expanding into sculpture, using materials like wood, stone, and soft vinyl. 

His works, often featuring childlike yet mystical beings with elongated limbs and haunting gazes, evoke a primal, universal connection to nature and the subconscious. Kato has exhibited internationally, including at the Venice Biennale (2007), and his work is widely recognized for its raw, intuitive energy and deep cultural resonance.