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A large mural in beige, white, black and red as part of Hideyuki Katsumata's exhibition. The mural is of a man, who is massive and is wearing a strange costume made up of eyes and faces.

Hideyuki Katsumata

USO de HONTOU

03 October - 15 November 2015

In autumn 2015,, our galleries are transformed into a dazzling psychedelic landscape of cartoon strips writ large by the Japanese artist Hideyuki Katsumata. His magical animations, paintings and prints were programmed to coincide with Discovery Film Festival. USO de HONTOU  was the artist’s biggest exhibition to date and his first ever in the UK. The title translates to the enigmatic phrase ‘that’s also unreal, but it’s also real’.

A mural from Hideyuki Katsumata's exhibition shows a black, dragon-like figure appearing from behind a rock.

Katsumata depicts robots, UFOs, dragons and bodies with multiple limbs or eyes in a vivid and engaging exhibition that chimes with both Japanese culture and Dundee’s own comics and video games heritage. USO de HONTOU features a large-scale mural and prints made at DCA. The large gallery features several of Katsumata’s joyous pop videos.

Katsumata has been exhibiting in Japan since 2002. He has also been included in various group shows around the world, including Sala Cega – Trezeta Musik in Sao Paulo, 2007, Forthrite in Oakland USA, 2009, Buro Beukorkest in the Netherlands in 2012 – 2013, DRAWABLE at F.L.A. Gallery, Florida USA in 2013, Tropical Sushi in Bangkok, 2014 and Hellion Gallery, Portland, Oregon, earlier this year.

Katsumata has made pop videos and illustrated record sleeves for artists including CUZ (Sam Dook from The GO! Team and Mike Watt from The Minutemen, fIREHOSE and The Stooges), Little Dragon, Rainbow Arabia, Simone White, T-Bone and Mad et Len. His work is equally at home on YouTube, as a VJing set in a club, in art galleries or as street art.

We are grateful to the Japan Foundation, London, who have supported the artist's travel.

Artist Interview | Hideyuki Katsumata on USO de HONTOU

Hideyuki Katsumata: Exhibition Notes

Click here to download the Exhibition Notes for Hideyuki Katsumata: USO de HONTOU
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Exhibition images

A large mural from Hideyuki Katsumata shows a surreal and colourful painting of a man. There is a black figure with horns looking up at the figure.
From Hideyuki Katsumata's exhibition - a mural shows a tattooed arm with a hand making the horn symbol. The hand has an eye on its palm. The background of the wall is red.
A mural from Hideyuki Katsumata's exhibition shows a black, dragon-like figure appearing from behind a rock.
A projection from Hideyuki Katsumata's exhibition. The image shows floating heads against a giant multi-coloured sea. There is a checkered, rainbow coloured rug on the floor of DCA Galleries.
A large mural from Hideyuki Katsumata shows a surreal and colourful painting of a man. There is a black figure with horns looking up at the figure.
From Hideyuki Katsumata's exhibition - a mural shows a tattooed arm with a hand making the horn symbol. The hand has an eye on its palm. The background of the wall is red.
A mural from Hideyuki Katsumata's exhibition shows a black, dragon-like figure appearing from behind a rock.
A projection from Hideyuki Katsumata's exhibition. The image shows floating heads against a giant multi-coloured sea. There is a checkered, rainbow coloured rug on the floor of DCA Galleries.
A large mural from Hideyuki Katsumata shows a surreal and colourful painting of a man. There is a black figure with horns looking up at the figure.
From Hideyuki Katsumata's exhibition - a mural shows a tattooed arm with a hand making the horn symbol. The hand has an eye on its palm. The background of the wall is red.
A mural from Hideyuki Katsumata's exhibition shows a black, dragon-like figure appearing from behind a rock.
A projection from Hideyuki Katsumata's exhibition. The image shows floating heads against a giant multi-coloured sea. There is a checkered, rainbow coloured rug on the floor of DCA Galleries.