Starting October 30, 2026, Kayo Matsushima’s solo exhibition “There is a Penguin” will be held at “Gallery Nikai,” located within the Feel Records Kyoto Hanare store. Ahead of the exhibition, we spoke with the artist about her background and the highlights of the show.
Great Paintings and a Penguin Born from Everyday Sensibilities
Could you please introduce yourself?
My name is Kayo Matsushima. I am an illustrator based in Osaka. I began my artistic career in 2004. I am self-taught when it comes to painting, though I majored in art history at university. As an artist, I call myself a “Penguin Pastiche Artist,” primarily creating works that combine a penguin with great paintings.
What made you start painting?
Since I was little, I used to doodle manga and illustrations, but I actually preferred looking at art in museums and galleries rather than drawing it myself.
The reason I started drawing a penguin was that when my son was young, he looked to me like a delightfully cheeky little penguin. With a bit of self-deprecating humor, I created that penguin character. You could say that was the trigger that led to my current creative work.
Could you tell us about the artists or works that have influenced you?
There are simply too many artists and works that have influenced me to choose just a few. I’ve been inspired by everything from ancient to contemporary art. But if I had to pick, it would be Escher and Van Gogh.
I’ve been looking at Escher’s prints for as long as I can remember, even before I was fully conscious of it. I’m drawn to that indescribably rational yet mysterious worldview. As for Van Gogh, I first encountered his art book when I was in junior high school. I was completely overwhelmed by his passionate paintings overflowing with emotion, and I thought, “I want to know more about him. I need to study art history.”
What are you expressing through your work?
When I feel something, a past great painting that matches my sensibility at that moment sometimes pops into my mind. And once I see a penguin in it, I just can’t help but paint it.
Those sensibilities stem from social trends, my connection with society, relationships with others, personal experiences, and trivial everyday moments. It’s a very private sensibility. I always wonder whether it is right to express such things.
However, I believe that by quoting great paintings and expressing these sensibilities through the character of a penguin, something universal—something that cannot be fully expressed in words—will emerge in the hearts of the viewers.
Penguin Pastiches Based on Redon and Monet
Could you tell us about the concept behind your solo exhibition at Gallery Nikai?
When I heard that “Gallery Nikai” was run by a phonograph needle company, the very first great painting that came to mind was Redon’s The Eye Like a Strange Balloon Mounts Toward Infinity. That large eye looked like a vinyl record to me, with a penguin hanging from it and flying toward us. It gave me a strong mental image that no matter what the present is like, the penguin will bring us something exciting for the future.
From there, my imagination continued to expand in many directions—to Monet, who was born in the same year as Redon; to the Kyoto Aquarium located right near the gallery; to the endangered African penguins living there; and to how vinyl records themselves were once on the brink of extinction. Therefore, the concept became my own imaginary world where “there is a penguin in every one of those worlds.”
What kind of works will be on display at this exhibition?
The main focus will be penguin pastiche works based on Redon’s art spanning from his “Noir (Black) Period” to his “Color Period,” as well as works from the era when Monet was heavily influenced by Japanese culture, and pieces inspired by his late-period Water Lilies.
I also made a penguin vinyl record. Of course, it’s a dummy, so you can’t actually play it, but I hope visitors will imagine what kind of sound it might make. In addition, there will be works inspired by the nearby Kyoto Aquarium.
What does expression mean to you, Ms. Matsushima?
Rather than making grand assertions, I am simply a painter who shapes “how things looked to me” into something visible to others. To me, expression means taking the eloquent sensibilities born within myself and bringing them out into the world using great paintings and a penguin. I hope that within someone else, those feelings might sprout into something entirely new.
Kayo Matsushima
Born in Osaka. Graduated from Tezukayama Gakuin University, Department of Aesthetics and Art History (majoring in Western Art History). She worked as an interior coordinator for a housing manufacturer before becoming a freelance illustrator following marriage and raising children.Later, under the concept of creating a worldview never seen before by combining timeless masterpieces with a penguin, she began her career as a “Penguin Pastiche Artist.” Working primarily with oil and acrylic paintings, her versatile creative practice spans murals, three-dimensional works, and illustrations. She is the author of the art book Penguin Art Museum (published by Seishinsha).
- 2026 “Shinjuku Penguin Bazaar” (Odakyu Department Store Shinjuku, Tokyo)
- 2026 “Penguin Artrium in AOAO SAPPORO” (AOAO SAPPORO, Hokkaido)
- 2025 “Penguin Art Exhibition Final” (Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Tokyo)
- 2024 “Manatsu no Yume: Kayo Matsushima Exhibition” (Fuji Gallery, Osaka)
- 2024 “mini○min” (Sansiao Gallery Nihonbashi, Tokyo)
- 2020 “MASTERPIECE PENGUIN” (Otsu Gallery, Osaka)
- 2019 “Kayo Matsushima Solo Exhibition” (Niche Gallery Ginza, Tokyo)
- 2019 “Kayo Matsushima Solo Exhibition: Penguin Art Museum Part 2” (Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium, Nagasaki)
Kayo Matsushima Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/kayo5556/
Kayo Matsushima Solo Exhibition “There is a Penguin”
Dates: Friday, October 30 – Saturday, November 7, 2026
(Closed on Wednesday, November 4 and Thursday, November 5)
Hours: 10:00 – 18:00
(Closes at 17:00 on the final day)
Venue: Feel Records Kyoto Hanare 2F “Gallery Nikai”
Admission: Free