Catupo | Four-Dimensional Painter

  • Artist Name: Catupo (Kappo)
  • Title: Four-Dimensional Painter
  • Birth: Born in Dalian, Manchuria, 1941
  • Education: Department of Broadcasting, College of Art, Nihon University (Withdrawal)
  • Career: Held numerous solo exhibitions primarily in Ginza galleries since his 30s. At age 80, resumed his artistic journey as a pioneer of “Four-Dimensional Painting.”
  • Roots: Grandson of the sculptor Gokichi Sakimoto. Raised in an artistic environment since childhood.

【Philosophy: Bringing the Fourth Dimension to a Two-Dimensional Canvas】

In the 20th century, masters like Picasso and Dalí challenged how to encapsulate the four-dimensional elements of “Time” and “Multi-perspective” within a two-dimensional canvas. Today, I stand in that unexplored territory that Cubism and Surrealism once pursued.
My abstract paintings are not merely compositions of shapes. They are the manifestation of a “Perfect Fourth Dimension,” appearing on a single plane where the surface and the interior of an object exist simultaneously. After a life journey spanning over 80 years, I have finally grasped the key to this expression.

【Roots: The Artistic Lineage】

I inherited the artistic talent of my grandfather, the sculptor Gorokichi Sakimoto, and my uncle, the manga artist Toshikazu, who passed away young. I first held a paintbrush in my early childhood. That moment in elementary school, gazing at my own painting displayed in the principal’s office—the only one chosen—is my origin as a painter.

※Photo: Sculpture by my grandfather, Gorokichi Sakimoto

【Journey: The Dual Path of Words and Colors】

Seeking free expression, I left university to enter the world of entertainment. Debuting at 21, I captivated audiences with “Words” as a storyteller and master of ceremonies. Meanwhile, I held solo exhibitions twice a year in Ginza galleries. Since my 30s, I balanced the dual expressive activities of entertainment and painting. Though I eventually put down my brush to focus on nurturing successors, I am certain that this hiatus was a necessary period to refine my four-dimensional sensibilities.

※Photo: Sculpture by my grandfather, Gorokichi Sakimoto

【Present: Radiating Four-Dimensional Light to the World】

In this era of the 100-year life, I am once again facing the canvas. The world that past masters dreamed of—I am now bringing it from Japan to the world, and into the future. I am dedicating the rest of my life to the completion of “Four-Dimensional Painting,” a pursuit of historical significance.

【Creative Philosophy: Carving Moments of Inspiration】

I never take up my brush with a predetermined theme. I paint solely according to the images that emerge in my mind, driven only by the inspiration of that specific moment. I do not paint from observation, nor do I envision a finished work beforehand. When inspiration does not strike, I never move my brush. Titles and descriptions are born from a dialogue with the finished work. Therefore, no two pieces of mine are ever the same. Each work is a unique life-form that could only exist in that singular moment.