Tokyo, Japan – waitingroom is pleased to present a solo exhibition, “PEOPLE & BUILDING” by Yutaka KATO, from 5/10/14(Sat.) to 6/15/14(Sun.). It has been five years since KATO had a solo exhibition as the first artist to be introduced at our gallery. KATO focuses on the urban cityscape and the people living there in his works; he strives to record the images that he sees from different perspectives. At this exhibition, we will be presenting the mysterious reality that exists in the city through a combination of 2D and 3D works in an installation format.

Yutaka KATO was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1974 and currently works in Tokyo. He graduated from Nihon University School of Arts, majoring in visual communications. His recent exhibitions include group exhibitions, “LOVE TOKYO” (Roppongi Hills Club, Tokyo), “LUMINE meets ART 2012” (Lumine Shinjuku B1F, Tokyo), and solo exhibitions, “NIGHT SHIFT” (waitingroom, Tokyo) and “DRAW” (NO.12 Gallery,Tokyo). He used to paint images of cityscapes on 2D medias, however, he has began to use 3D medias such as sculptures as a new form of presentation. For the sculpture pieces, KATO paints pictures of people on wooden blocks, focusing on their placement. The essential concept of his work is that the impression of the whole can drastically change depending on the side one views the piece.

“When I travel through the city, I’m captivated by the massive amount of imagery– the neon signs, the vacant land, and the damaged hair. When I see them, I know I need to make a sketch.”
To KATO, the world is full of existence that are meant to be there, some that are out of place, and others without a specific place to belong. These are beings that will be forgotten if they are not recorded. This is the motivation for creating art for KATO. One of the characteristics of his works is that it shows the “present” state of the city. KATO also comments about his work that, “If you take a close look at the details, the individual image will diminish and there will be a moment when rhythm and material comes forward.” This state will be achieved by the act of sketching, which is essentially the process of translating the image he sees into lines. This process serves to release the motif of the model from the image that it carries.

The sketches of cityscapes that were drawn from the corner of a fast food restaurant, and 3D paintings that show the relationship of people from multiple angles reveal the fact that KATO cherishes everything– both lifeless and living– and realizes their existence. Please come and see KATO’s second exhibition at our gallery.