The Collection

Mami Kato is a Japanese-born sculptor and installation artist whose practice explores the invisible forces of nature and the universe through material-based abstraction. She studied oil painting and sculpture at Musashino Art University and Tokyo School of Art in Japan before completing her degree at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia. After several years working in Tokyo, she returned to Philadelphia in the early 1990s, where she has lived and worked since.

Kato’s works begin with abstract concepts that unfold through the sculptural process into what she describes as visual poetry. Her material choices often serve as metaphors for energy, sustenance, and heritage. She is best known for her use of rice straw, which simultaneously references her Japanese cultural roots and evokes the life-sustaining force of nature. In works such as Umbilical Field, she visualizes the connection between earth’s generative energy and humankind.

Her sculptures and installations have been exhibited internationally in galleries, institutions, and art fairs, with her work represented in permanent private, corporate, and museum collections across the United States, Japan, and China.