Mami Kato is a Japanese born-artist who now lives and works in Philadelphia in the US. She graduated from Musashino Art University and Tokyo School of Art in Japan and University of the Arts in the US and has since exhibited extensively across the USA and Japan. Mami’s work is part of international private and pubic collections, including the Wu Tung Art Museum, China. Her 'Big Knot' piece was presented as a central feature in our award winning Design Miami: Material Shores booth in 2022.
Mami is best known for her sculptural works in rice straw. She uses the material to not only reference her Japanese heritage, but also to highlight the ability of raw materials to provide energy and sustain life on earth. Her work sculpturally captures this natural vitality as it powerfully surges in curves, twists and bulges, with installation pieces appearing to literally pour out from the walls. Through her work, she encourages us to carefully consider the gift of natural sustenance, which will only continue if we respect and nurture a symbiotic and balanced relationship with the earth.