Year: 2020
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 118.5 x 53 cm (46 5/8 x 20 7/8 in.)
Acquired from a private collection, 2024
Kato’s paintings occasionally take the form of two canvases joined together, to create a single, continuous image that is physically and visually divided. Here, two canvases are connected vertically, forming a long, thin composition. A single figure is depicted, with the upper and lower body separated between the canvases. The upper body has skin covered in multicolored spots, against a light, sky-blue background. The lower body is in a vibrant red, with a gray background. For some time, Kato has regularly depicted these human-like forms, which he refers to as “hitogata” and which contain a striking duality. Kato’s hitogata are often described as “fetus-like,” and they do indeed take lovable, infantile forms. On the other hand, the strength and spirituality that overflow from their undeveloped limbs evoke a sense of awe, quite distinct from a child, as if the viewer is confronting some unknown being. The mismatched body that is seemingly cobbled together by force suggests the evolution of life and the mystery of metamorphosis, while there is also a sense of immorality, a feeling that a taboo has been transgressed. Taken in themselves, the colors would have the bright and showy quality of pop art. Yet, because their use is not what one would usually expect, they take on the appearance of the warning colors of something poisonous. All kinds of dualities of opposite extremes, are expressed within this single picture.
