One Ordinary Day is a contemporary photographic interpretation of traditional Japanese genre paintings and the Kyogen and Butoh style of movement and theater. Mimi Kato, a native of Japan, overlays images of figures (all the artist herself) within illustrative landscapes and settings. In addition to playing each of the roles in her photographs, Kato sews each of the costumes and creates the props becoming, in effect, a one-person theater.

The narratives in the landscapes are based on stereotypes, exaggerated realities and the conditions of the lives of people in typical Japanese suburban towns. Here basic human emotions intersect to form a somewhat ill fitted society and reality. Each scene is an extract of typical daily routines, accidents and mishaps, and summaries of common news stories from various Japanese newspapers.

Born in Nara, Japan, Mimi Kato has lived and worked in the US since 1998. She earned a B.A. from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri (2002) and an M.F.A. from the University of Texas at San Antonio (2006.) Recent exhibitions include Good Citizen Gallery, St. Louis, Mo (2011), Fotofest, Houston,TX (2011); the Grand Rapids Art Museum,Grand Rapids, MI (2009); Artpace, San Antonio,TX (2009); the Roswell Museum of Art, Roswell, NM (2008) and the Ballina Art Center, Ballina, Ireland(2007.) Kato has been an artist in residence at the Roswell Artist in Residency Program in Roswell,NM (2008); Albion College in Albion, MI (2009); and the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, NH (2010.) Kato lives and works in Cleveland, OH.

Artists in this Exhibition

• Mimi Kato

Artist Video