A t first glance, Izumi Kato’s Untitled (2008) is a cocktail of fluid colours, cascading and flowing across the faces of the artists depictions. As the artist states, ‘Shintoism, Buddhism, and Animism are all mixed in my hometown. I am influenced by my upbringing, where everything has a life of its own,’ (the artist quoted in “Izumi Kato’s haunting humanoids turn heads in New York ”, Wallpaper, 14 March 2021, online). Throughout the artist’s career, Kato’s artistic idiom has evolved to synthesize stylistic influences from Africa totems and Jōmon period clay puppets while taking inspiration from the Gutai methodology in his idiosyncratic creation process—applying pigment on canvas with his hands. Furthermore, a lot of Kato’s recent figurative works stem from the animist belief from the Japanese Shinto tradition that spiritual forces inhabit all things in the living world. Exhibited at the Osaka National Museum of Art in 2010, Untitled is an animated and archetypal example from the artist’s distinctive oeuvre.

Kato uses organic lines and dark tonal hues to depict a mystifying humanoid entity which possesses equivalently primitive and futuristic qualities. Kato’s practice of using elementary forms and rich contrasting colours is evident in the present work—fluid colours cradle the dark penetrating eyes of the figure, whose hands are represented by two radiant spheres. The figure possesses an ominous, otherworldly quality and demonstrates a duality teetering between a sci-fi future and ancient past, the masculine and feminine, the endearing and unsightly. Set against an enchanting scene of blues, creams and golden hues, the artist’s signature embryo-like depictions are enveloped in a what seems like an amniotic sac. Kato’s signature motif is aided by his technique of smoothly slathering colours over the canvas, the oil like colours shifting in tones with the artist’s own distinctive style of painting. In the present work, Kato enchants the zany creature in emerald green and yellowish tones, almost blushing in shades of pink and orange which burst forward from the canvas against the bright cream of the backdrop. This central figure exemplifies the early stages of human life, sparking off sensations of comfort, warmth and expectation. Drawing familiarity to a womb-like foundation, Untitled revels in Kato’s uncanny ability to blur reality and fiction.

乍 一看，加藤泉的《無題》（2008年）色彩流麗繽紛，顏料在人物臉上流淌而過。藝術家憶述：「我的家鄉混雜著不同宗教與信仰，包括神道教、佛教和泛靈論。在我的成長環境中，萬事萬物都具有生命與靈性，這個世界觀對我有著深遠影響。」（引述加藤泉，錄於〈加藤泉的神秘類人生物驚艷紐約〉，《Wallpaper》，2021年3月14日，網上）。加藤泉的創作風格經過多年慢慢轉變，融合了非洲宗教圖騰與日本繩文時代陶泥玩偶的元素。除此以外，他亦從具體派的創作方式中汲取靈感，開始以雙手在畫布上塗抹顏料。藝術家近期許多具象作品都反映出源自日本神道教中泛靈論的理念，亦即萬物有靈，生機處處。《無題》於2010年在大阪國立美術館展出，是藝術家以其獨特畫風繪就的代表作品。

加藤泉在本作使用自然隨性的線條和深沉濃重的色調，描繪出既原始野性又富有未來感的神祕類人生物。藝術家採用了一向偏愛的基本圖形與豐富的對比色，人物深邃的眼睛旁用了鮮明亮麗的色彩，而雙手則是以兩個光亮的球體代替。畫中人物像是天外來物，又似不祥之兆，遊走在科幻與遠古、雄性與雌性、親切與可怖之間。《無題》的背景是迷人的藍色、奶油色和金色，一個胚胎般的生靈置身其中，猶如被包裹在一個羊膜囊內。加藤泉以流暢的手法塗抹色彩，油亮的顏彩層層變化，展現藝術家獨特的畫風。本作中，黛綠色和淡黃色調令這個生物增添幾分古怪滑稽，而粉紅色和橙色讓他彷彿從在奶油色背景中躍然而出。畫面中央的物象似是人類生命初期的縮影，讓人感到舒坦而溫暖，令人嚮往。《無題》讓人想起母親的子宮 ，同時又將現實與幻想的界線變得模糊，展露了加藤泉的獨特奇才。