These figures are connected to the tradition of pantheistic polytheism in Shintoism and the devout animism of Japan’s indigenous culture. Kato’s upbringing in Shimane Prefecture in western Japan, a coastal area renowned for its myths and legends, serving as the backdrop of Kato’s childhood, gradually becoming a significant influence on his visual language.

While many viewers are already acquainted with the mysterious humanoid figures in the artist's portfolio, works in this exhibition reveal a recent shift: the introduction of animal figures and their significant connection to anatomy. In Kato's previous works, animal elements often appeared in an anthropomorphic manner, but now they have evolved into independent and tangible forms, coexisting with the perennial protagonists, the humanoid figures. In some paintings, animal figures even assume dominant roles, relegating human figures to secondary positions.

Dualism is another recurring theme in Kato's works. The figures in his paintings and sculptures are frequently divided into two halves, a structure seen consistently in his style. The new works introduce additional dualisms, including the interplay between the interior and exterior, and the juxtaposition of humans and animals. In the plastic sculpture pieces, an intricate skeletal structure is enclosed within a transparent vinyl shell, with animal characters serving as anatomical counterparts.

In a somewhat speculative interpretation, the evolution of these figures, as I perceive it, indicates that in the early 1990s, Kato leaned towards an almost unified monochromatic palette with earthy and mineral hues. Intense colors were occasionally reserved solely for the heads and genitalias of the small humanoid figures. Their shapes were rawer, conveying distinct expressions of despair and anxiety. In recent years, the works have become more vibrant in color, with relatively richer backgrounds. However, emotional signifiers have become more ambiguous, with the gaze of the humanoid figures displaying a sense of confusion and loss. The treatment of facial expressions and the internal aspects of the bodies resemble landscapes. The deadpan expression of the small humanoid figures and the malleability they bring may be considered one of Kato's core methodologies in his creative process. This intentional blurring, and consistent use of untitled nomenclature, render the identity of the protagonist mysterious. One can also observe layers and layers of transformations, seemingly representing the artist's refusal to adhere to a specific set of interpretations. The figures do not speak, they do not commit. In Kato's ambiguous symbolism, they are both spirits floating in deep forests and mountains, and witnesses of modernity's disillusionment in the Capitalocene.