Title: "Izumi Kato x Chiso: Paintings and Kimono"
Author: Izumi Kato, Chiso Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Kuma Bookstore
Language: Japanese/English
Size: 21.2 x 29.8 cm
Izumi Kato is a contemporary artist active worldwide and a strong presence in the art world. Founded in 1555 in Karasuma-Sanjo, Kyoto, Chiso, a long-established Kyoto yuzen dyeing company, celebrated its 470th anniversary in 2025. The kimono pieces presented at the exhibition, titled "Izumi Kato x Chiso: Paintings and Kimonos," were based on sketches by Kato and were completed through 20 to 30 traditional processes, including itome yuzen, kaki yuzen, shibori dyeing, embroidery, and tailoring, and the teamwork of more than 20 specialized artisans in Kyoto. Kato's distinctive motifs, known as "hitogata" (human figures), are particularly distinctive, and are painted by Kato himself using traditional yuzen techniques. Additionally, some pieces were created using fabrics that had not yet been commercialized as kimonos.
This book attempts to get to the heart of the creative process by not only recording the works and exhibitions, but also carefully documenting the collaborative production process.
The book also includes a conversation between Kato and Chiso President Isomoto Nobu, a conversation between Kato and Chiso President Isomoto Nobu, and portraits of artists with whom Kato has close ties, such as Katsura Nanko, Minami Kaho, and Makihara Noriyuki, wearing his works.
Izumi Kato
Born in Shimane Prefecture in 1969, he currently lives and works in Tokyo and Hong Kong. He began his career in earnest around 1998, starting with the simple, symbolic facial shapes that children draw, and has continued to create works based on the human form to this day. In recent years, in addition to paintings, he has expanded his expression to three-dimensional works, exploring a variety of materials such as wood, soft vinyl, cloth, stone, and casting. Her recent solo exhibitions include "Izumi Kato" at Fundación Casa Wabi (Puerto Escondido, 2019), "Izumi Kato: LIKE A ROLLING SNOWBALL" at Hara Museum of Contemporary Art/Hara Museum ARC (Tokyo/Gunma, 2019), "STAND BY YOU" at SCAD Museum of Art (Savannah, 2021), "Izumi Kato: Parasitic Plastic Model" at Watari Museum of Contemporary Art (Tokyo, 2022), and "Izumi Kato: The Path to Someone" at Shimane Prefectural Iwami Art Museum (Shimane, 2025). Her works are included in the collections of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, the National Museum of Art, Osaka, the Ryukyu Museum of Art (Shanghai), and the Red Brick Museum (Beijing), among others.
Chiso Co., Ltd.
In 1555 (the first year of the Koji era), the first Chigiriya Yozaemon founded the company "Chigiriya" in Karasuma-Sanjo, Kyoto. During the Edo period, the company was well-versed in the colors and patterns of costumes based on court etiquette and customs, and served as a costume maker, preparing robes and uchikiki appropriate for family status and occasions. During the Meiji period, the company shifted its focus to Yuzen dyeing, pioneering new forms of expression in Kyoto Yuzen by commissioning Japanese painters to create sketches. It became a purveyor brand for fine art dyed textiles to the Imperial Household Ministry, exhibiting at events such as the Paris World Exposition. During wartime, the company established the Nishimura So Dyeing and Weaving Research Institute to preserve and pass on its techniques. In recent years, leveraging its knowledge of design and dyeing techniques cultivated through kimono, the company has collaborated both domestically and internationally with Montblanc, Globe-Trotter, Suntory, and other brands. The company also established the Chiso Cultural Research Institute to preserve and research cultural assets. In Karasuma-Sanjo, the same location as the company's founding, the flagship store, Chiso Main Store, and the Chiso Gallery are operated to showcase the traditional arts and crafts in the company's collection.