Famous painters that I associate with K. Kato's work include Shinro Ohtake, street artist Banksy, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, but I have a slightly different impression. Originally, it is said that human consciousness has a "nature of trying to be free" in the sense of overcoming difficulties without ceasing. The premise behind this is that human consciousness can stand on a meta-level. For example, even if one's gender and age are specified, one can ignore them in one's mind and imagine a completely different self. It is rare to meet such a person. Hegel called this ability to deny reality and stand on a meta-level the "negativity of consciousness. When faced with difficulties, consciousness tries to overcome them and become free by demonstrating this negativity of consciousness. K Kato's paintings, with brushstrokes that seem to narrate the destruction of the images produced by his works and the process of making drawings, are works in which a distant state of consciousness is forged over and over again. It is as if he were depicting his own life.

Toshiharu Suzuki (Art Critic / Aichi Art Collective)