Izumi Kato: Aichi Triennale

Izumi Kato presents a selection of work at the Design Aichi Gallery, Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum as part of the 6th edition of the Aichi Triennale, curated by Hoor Al Qasimi (President and Director of the Sharjah Art Foundation).

Kato's installation includes a large-scale wooden sculpture Untitled (2010), seven new paintings Untitled (2024–2025), and a newly cast aluminum sculpture Untitled (2024). These works are accompanied by smaller sculptures playfully paired with found objects such as earthenware, shell-shaped cases, and ceramic fragments sourced from the museum’s collection- creating a dialogue between contemporary art and historical material culture.

The Triennale brings together 62 artists from 22 countries and territories each selected for their relevance to the theme, 'A Time Between Ashes and Roses', taken from a verse by Adonis, a poet representing the contemporary Arab world. Witnessing the devastation of war, Adonis lamented the environmental destruction left in its wake; yet he was also conscious of the hope that lay beyond the ruins.

Hoor Al Qasimi, Artistic Director of Aichi Triennale 2025, said: “When I first started working on the Aichi Triennale 2025, I didn’t imagine we would be witnessing a genocide live-streamed through our phones. I think back to the title “A Time Between Ashes and Roses”,  the despair that was felt after the 1967 war and how it is a reminder of this ongoing violence that can no longer be ignored. This exhibition brings a lot of these issues to the forefront, our destruction of the planet and all living things, but also a reminder of how connected we are to this earth. By highlighting some of these issues, we can also find solidarity and strength in numbers to make our voices heard. This Triennale serves as a reminder that we all live under the same sky and none of us are free until all of us are free.“