Bangkok--27 Jul--เดนท์สุ
Given Name SHOJIRO
Family Name KATO
Born 1954 / Tokyo, Japan
Education
1978 M.F.A. in Japanese style painting, Graduate School of Tama Art University, Tokyo,
Japan
1976 B.F.A. in Japanese style painting, Tama Art University, Tokyo, Japan
One Man Show
2004 Recent Paintings / Numthong Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
2003 Mind Forest / Akko Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
2002 Cat in Tokyo / Akko Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
2001 Moon People in Phuket / Art & Culture Gallery, Phuket, Thailand
Moon People 1991-2000 / Japan Cultural Center, Bangkok, Thailand
1999 Moon People -8-/ O Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
1997 ARK -2- / Gallery Ark, Yokohama, Japan
1996 ARK / Gallery Ark , Yokohama, Japan
Bear -2- / Gallery?Olym, Tokyo, Japan
Moon People -7- / Ginza Gallery House, Tokyo, Japan
1995 Bear / Gallery Q-S, Tokyo, Japan
Moon People -6- / Ginza Gallery House, Tokyo, Japan?
1994 Moon People -5- / Taichung City Cultural Center, Taichung, Taiwan
1993 Moon People -4- / Gallery K, Tokyo, Japan
1992 Moon People -3- / Gallery K, Tokyo, Japan
1991 Moon People -2- / Sotetsu Gallery, Yokohama, Japan
Moon People / Cast Iron Gallery, New York, USA
Selected Group Show
2004 New Images 2004 / Gallery Hibiki, Tokyo, Japan
ORIENT in ASEAN -Prayer for Peace- / ASEAN Center, Tokyo, Japan
Today's Figurative Paintings 2004 / Asahi Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
WILLIAMSBURG SALON 2004 / W.A.H.Center, New York, USA
2003 ORIENT in Jakarta / Japan Cultural Center, Jakarta, Indonesia
ORIENT -Color & Shape- 2003 / Moteki Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
Three men show -Contemporary Paintings from Asia- / with Vasan Sitthiket &
Le Thanh Thu, O Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
WILLIAMSBURG SALON 2003 / W.A.H.Center, New york, USA
2002 ORIENT -Color & Shape-?2002 Moteki?Gallery / Tokyo, Japan
Today's Figurative Paintings 2002 / Asahi Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2001 ORIENT -Color & Shape-?2001 / Ginza Art Plaza, Tokyo, Japan
Today's Figurative Paintings 2001 / Asahi Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2000 Two persons show -Two Developments of Japanese style painting-
with Michiko Iseki / Inoue Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
ORIENT -Color & Shape-?2000 / Ginza Art Plaza, Tokyo, Japan
Japan -Korea Contact Art Exhibition / Cheju Cultural Center, Cheju, Korea
Today's Figurative Paintings 2000 / Asahi Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
1999 ORIENT -Color & Shape- 1999 / Ginza Art Plaza, Tokyo, Japan
Japan -Korea Contact Art Exhibition / Kanagawa Prefecture Gallery, Yokohama,
Japan
Today's Figurative Paintings 1999 / Asahi Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
1998 Today's Great Painters in Japan / Shanghai City Art Museum,Shanghai,
The People's Republic of China
Vietnam International Art Exhibition? / Ho Chi Minh City Art Museum,
Ho Chi Minh , Vietnam
Wind of Asia ? / Ginza Gallery House, Tokyo, Japan
Japan -Korea Contact Art Exhibition / Seoul Shinmun Gallery, Seoul, Korea
1997 Yasuda Art Foundation Contemporary Art Exhibition
/ Yasuda Art Foundation Togo Seiji Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
The 40th Yasui Prize Exhibition / Season Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
What is Japanese style painting ? / Ginza Gallery House, Tokyo, Japan
1996 Thai Asian Modern Art Exhibition / Sindhon Building, bangkok, Thailand
1995 Shanghai Asian Modern Art Exhibition / Shanghai?City Art Museum, Shanghai,
The People's Republic of China
1994 Vietnam International Art Exhibition / Ho Chi Minh City Art Museum, Ho Chi Minh,
Vietnam
Wind of Asia / Chibagin Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
1992 China-Japan?International?Contact Art Exhibition / National History Museum,
Taipei, Taiwan
Japan-Korea-China Contemporary Art Exhibition / Lotte Art Museum, Seoul, Korea
1991 The 2nd Japan-Korea-China Asian Modern Art Exhibition / Korean Cultural Center,
Tokyo, Japan
1990 Hong Kong Asian Modern Art Exhibition / Hong Kong Cultural Center, Hong Kong
Three person show -Three Developments of Japanese style painting-
with John Volmer & Yumiko Tanaka / Sairin Gallery, Yokohama, Japan
Japan-Korea-China Asian Modern Art Exhibition / Korean Cultural Center, Tokyo,
Japan
1989 China-Japan International Contact Art Exhibition / Kaosiung Cultural Center,
Kaosiung, Taiwan
Awards
2001 Grand Prize in the 23rd Japan-Seiko Art Exhibition
1997 Invited to the 40th Yasui Prize Exhibition
1996 Yasuda Art Foundation Prize in the 32nd Asian Modern Art Exhibition
Second Grand Prize in the 30th Kanagawa-ken Exhibition
1994 Grand Prize in the 30th Asian Modern Art Exhibition
1992 Japan-Asian Airline Prize in the 28th Asian Modern Art Exhibition
1991 Ueno no Mori Art Museum Prize in the 27th Asian Modern Art Exhibition
1990 Prize in the 26th Asia Modern art Exhibition
1990 The Artist Friendship Association of Asia Prize in the 26th Asian Modern Art
Exhibition
1989 New Artist Prize in the 25th Asian Modern Art Exhibition
"The more one pursues the possibility of the paintings, the more the definition of the paintings are broken and then, one leaves the world of the paintings. But I believe the paintings can touch and heal our hearts through the body, like a human-being.." (Kato Shojiro)
"Japanese style painting" is coined by the inflow of Western painting after the period of isolation 130 years ago to distinguish Japanese traditional painting from Western painting. Historically, "Japanese style painting" can be defined as a unique painting developed in Japan, which originally came from China. The painting is drawn basically with Indian ink, shells, powdered mineral pigments, clay, gold leaves, glues, etc. It might be a primitive way but it can be the system for mutual sympathy between nature and human-beings.
Although Mr.Kato's style is based on Japanese style painting, his pursuit of painting is beyond both Japanese style and Western style. His paintings have simple structure but have impact and hidden power at the same time. The motif seems to be a human being but there is no face, no character. He avoids to express the feeling directly, but tries to make the viewer's image concrete through the reality created by the contrast between the body and the color.