Tiger Gallery will host the Izumi Kato Parasitic Onitsuka solo exhibition
Located at its Tiger Gallery London flagship store, the Izumi Kato PARASITIC ONITSUKA solo exhibition will be hosted by Onitsuka Tiger this summer. Tiger Gallery has welcomed a number of international artists, including Godwin Champs Namuyimba from Uganda, David “Mr. StarCity” White from New York, Michele Fletcher from London, and Maurice Mboa from Cameroon. Izumi, a Tokyo- and Hong Kong-based artist, is now exhibiting his work as part of the project’s fifth iteration.
Izumi has won praise from all around the world for his human-like paintings and sculptures, brilliant color scheme, and expert use of a variety of materials. His upbringing in Shimane Prefecture, a region that overlooks the Sea of Japan, can be linked to his inspirations from the indigenous spirit and culture of Japan. This can be observed across the 40 mixed-media figures of the Izumi Kato PARASITIC ONITSUKA solo exhibition, each mysterious and alluring in its own unique way.
Izumi is well-known for his enigmatic, humanoid sculptures and paintings. Additionally, he has worn Onitsuka Tiger sneakers for quite some time. The new artworks, which continue his previous Parasitic Plastic Models series, were produced through a process he refers to as “consultation.” He studied the construction and quality of Onitsuka Tiger trainers, which led to the creation of a project that naturally connects the brand and the artist.
“I have been wearing Onitsuka Tiger sneakers since I was a kid and I have always been a fan,” said Izumi. “To this day I still wear their recently revived sneakers. It was also significant that the brand was Japanese, where I was born. Onitsuka Tiger has always been part of my life, so the idea of using materials from its products that I am familiar with as my artwork seemed natural.”
The Izumi Kato PARASITIC ONITSUKA exhibition will run from now till September 22. For more information, visit the Tiger Gallery website here.
