Biography
Natsuki Takauji was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, currently lives and works in NYC. She is a faculty member at The Art Students League of New York and a director of Metal Sculptures at Sculptors Alliance for which she curated an exhibition "METAL" at Governors Island in 2017 and a virtual exhibition “Flux” in 2020. Solo exhibition venues include Berkeley College Gallery, Manhattan, NY, and Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, Brooklyn, NY. Most recent group exhibitions include "A special Exhibition for 130th Anniversary of National Association of Women Artists" at the Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster NJ in 2019, curated by Jeffrey Wechsler, a former senior curator of the Zimmerli Art Museum, and "Time Space Existence" at Palazzo Mora hosted by European Cultural Centre during the 16th Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy in 2018. Her work is held as private collections internationally and one of her oil fountain sculptures was acquired as a permanent collection of Yuko Nii Foundation. A collaborative public sculpture “Tree of Life” at Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, NY, as well as her first large-scale, interactive swing public sculpture, "Window", which was exhibited at Riverside Park 61st Street, Manhattan, were exhibited in 2014-15, and a succeeding swing sculpture "Window II" was installed at Rye Town Park, Rye, NY in 2019. She collaborated with Korean artist Haksul Lee on a socially engaging art project in the NYC community, "What Is Your Name?" which was made possible by the ArtPort Residency Program at the LaGuardia Airport, Queens, NY, and was selected in a group exhibition "Mother Tongue" of The Immigrant Artist Biennial, 2020. Her latest interactive sculpture "Confession" was exhibited in September 2020, at the West 132th Street Harlem Community Garden of NYC Parks GreenThumb.
Artist Statement
My practice is about making invisible ideas visible. What if you could see all the people in the world’s activities and movement visually at a glance. This crazy “what if” is the inspiration of my art. I believe whole human history, including art, has progressed because of the “what if” thinking, creating new possibilities.
Earlier in my practice, I was focusing on expressing my personal and internal visions. Ever since I started to engage with the public through public art, my focus has shifted more toward making art to communicate with others by giving interactive experiences or throwing questions about preconceived perceptions and beliefs.
The current state of the world, especially the United States, where I have lived for a decade now, has deepened my desire to set my artistic goal even higher: it is to challenge people to keep seeking for a better world and self.
Natsuki Takauji was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, currently lives and works in NYC. She is a faculty member at The Art Students League of New York and a director of Metal Sculptures at Sculptors Alliance for which she curated an exhibition "METAL" at Governors Island in 2017 and a virtual exhibition “Flux” in 2020. Solo exhibition venues include Berkeley College Gallery, Manhattan, NY, and Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, Brooklyn, NY. Most recent group exhibitions include "A special Exhibition for 130th Anniversary of National Association of Women Artists" at the Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster NJ in 2019, curated by Jeffrey Wechsler, a former senior curator of the Zimmerli Art Museum, and "Time Space Existence" at Palazzo Mora hosted by European Cultural Centre during the 16th Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy in 2018. Her work is held as private collections internationally and one of her oil fountain sculptures was acquired as a permanent collection of Yuko Nii Foundation. A collaborative public sculpture “Tree of Life” at Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, NY, as well as her first large-scale, interactive swing public sculpture, "Window", which was exhibited at Riverside Park 61st Street, Manhattan, were exhibited in 2014-15, and a succeeding swing sculpture "Window II" was installed at Rye Town Park, Rye, NY in 2019. She collaborated with Korean artist Haksul Lee on a socially engaging art project in the NYC community, "What Is Your Name?" which was made possible by the ArtPort Residency Program at the LaGuardia Airport, Queens, NY, and was selected in a group exhibition "Mother Tongue" of The Immigrant Artist Biennial, 2020. Her latest interactive sculpture "Confession" was exhibited in September 2020, at the West 132th Street Harlem Community Garden of NYC Parks GreenThumb.
Artist Statement
My practice is about making invisible ideas visible. What if you could see all the people in the world’s activities and movement visually at a glance. This crazy “what if” is the inspiration of my art. I believe whole human history, including art, has progressed because of the “what if” thinking, creating new possibilities.
Earlier in my practice, I was focusing on expressing my personal and internal visions. Ever since I started to engage with the public through public art, my focus has shifted more toward making art to communicate with others by giving interactive experiences or throwing questions about preconceived perceptions and beliefs.
The current state of the world, especially the United States, where I have lived for a decade now, has deepened my desire to set my artistic goal even higher: it is to challenge people to keep seeking for a better world and self.
Contact
takaujinatsuki@gmail.com