Shioh Kato

Shioh Kato, a sincere believer in creating harmony through art and an avid seeker of wisdom from the Universe to achieve Bodaishin (“enlightenment-mind”), has made a name for his remarkable artistic style of transforming ancient philosophy into modern art. Shioh was born in Japan in 1941, graduated from Daito Bunka University in Tokyo in 1963, and currently lives between San Francisco and Japan. Shioh’s arts have been exhibited regularly in many countries including Germany, France, Brazil, Japan, and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

Shioh’s usage of the visual lexicon (colors, lines, shapes, etc.), to turn calligraphy into abstract art with contemporary sophistication, is ingenious. By blending the seemingly impossible while arriving at a state of harmonious balance with rich vocabulary, he beautifully conceptualizes his inner thoughts. His artistry, insights and wisdom are truly unique.

At a very young age, Shioh recognized the beauty of the earliest known Chinese writing — the Oracle Shell and Bone Script — which dates back to 1600 B.C. The pictographic origin of these scripts has long been forgotten by most people over the years. Shioh, however, artfully incorporates these ancient characters into his abstract paintings, not only awaken modern people’s attention to their beauty but also to assign new meaning with his unyielding creativity and wisdom.

By collapsing time, space, and cultures Shioh’s art brilliantly enhances people’s minds and souls by transcending all boundaries. His art is unique and stylistic. He has definitely set himself apart in the contemporary art world for his enlightened work.