“Ode to Cats”

Even within Western painting, I am particularly drawn to subjects that contain narratives, such as those from Christian stories or Greek mythology. In recent years, I have been especially interested in the various methods used in early Renaissance Christian art to convey the contents of the Bible at a glance, without question, to believers who could not read at the time.

My family has kept cats even before I was born. I said goodbye to my first cat when I was in junior high, and soon after, we rescued a second cat. That second cat lived until I was 36 years old. Both cats lived long lives, and during the formative periods of my life, I had an intense relationship with them, creating many memories.

When selecting motifs for my work, I want to prioritize sensations that are difficult to put into words—those that move the heart strongly. For me, cats are such a motif. I believe that people who love cats share a unique and strong sense of empathy that is characteristic

of cat lovers.

In recent years, divisions based on ideology, race, and other differences have been accelerating.

I feel that empathy toward something close to us, like the love of cats, holds the potential to counteract this accelerating division. Through cats, humanity’ s common friends, I hope to convey a step toward peace.

September 2025

Tokuhiro Kawai