Biography
Natsuki Takauji was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, currently lives and works in NYC. She is an instructor 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. Her 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 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. Her public installations include “Tree of Life” at Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, NY, and the large-scale interactive swing sculpture, "Window" at Riverside Park 61st Street, Manhattan, as a part of Model To Monuments Program in 2014-15. And a succeeding swing sculpture "Window II" was exhibited at Rye Town Park, Rye, NY in 2019. In 2020, 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 for The Immigrant Artist Biennial, 2020. Currently it is a permanent collection of Port Authority of NY and NJ. Her latest interactive sculpture "Confession" was exhibited in September 2020, at the West 132nd Street Harlem Community Garden of NYC Parks GreenThumb.
Artist Statement
I was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, in a religiously confused and sexually oppressed environment. Even though my family and I are non-religious like most Japanese, I spent twelve years attending a strict Catholic school. My experience of attending this school was often troubling. The school was located near a controversial shrine called Yasukuni, which was frequented by extreme nationalists. They gathered because it enshrines over a thousand convicted war criminals, along with many other war victims. In order to get to and from school and other parts of my life, I had to ride an overly crowded subway with the risk of sexual assault or neglected by others. It was painful to experience the gender inequality and the imposition of the ideas of desirable women embedded in the entire society. All those observations and experiences led me to doubt and question the professed belief system and perceptions in all societies.
Therefore, my work is deeply influenced by these aspects. For me, art is to liberate from condition and suppression to reveal something that won't be expressed otherwise. I would like to create art that questions preconceived perceptions and beliefs and brings new ones.
略歴
東京都出身、早稲田大学第一文学部文芸専修卒業後、ニューヨークに渡り、ジャクソンポロックやアイウェイウェイなど数々の著名アーティストを輩出した歴史あるアートスクール、アートスチューデンツリーグオブニューヨークにて絵画彫刻などを学び、ネサコーヘン賞など数々の賞を受賞。現在は同校にて金属彫刻の講師を勤める。主な展示はLesley Heller Gallery、Affordable Art Fair,、Berkeley College Gallery、The Center for Contemporary Art Bedminster、Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts、Williamsburg Art and Historical Centerなどニューヨークを拠点に制作、展示を行っている。主な大規模な野外彫刻の展示は、ブランコが作品の一部となっている “Window” がRiverside Park, Manhattanにて２０１４から１５年にかけて展示され、その第２作目となる “Window II” がRye Town Park, Ryeにて２０１９から２０年にかけて展示された。２０１８年にはヴェニスビエンナーレにおいて欧州文化センター主催 “Time Space Existence” 展に出展した。２０２０年のコラボレーション作品、“What Is Your Name?” はニューヨークのラガーディア空港で行われたアートポートプログラムにて人々との交流を通じて制作され、同作はニューヨーク・ニュージャージー港湾管理局（Port Authority of NY and NJ）のコレクションとなっている。その他、自身が金属彫刻のディレクターを務めるNY彫刻家協会（Sculptors Alliance, NY）主催の展示のキュレーションも行っている。
Natsuki Takauji was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, currently lives and works in NYC. She is an instructor 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. Her 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 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. Her public installations include “Tree of Life” at Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, NY, and the large-scale interactive swing sculpture, "Window" at Riverside Park 61st Street, Manhattan, as a part of Model To Monuments Program in 2014-15. And a succeeding swing sculpture "Window II" was exhibited at Rye Town Park, Rye, NY in 2019. In 2020, 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 for The Immigrant Artist Biennial, 2020. Currently it is a permanent collection of Port Authority of NY and NJ. Her latest interactive sculpture "Confession" was exhibited in September 2020, at the West 132nd Street Harlem Community Garden of NYC Parks GreenThumb.
Artist Statement
I was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, in a religiously confused and sexually oppressed environment. Even though my family and I are non-religious like most Japanese, I spent twelve years attending a strict Catholic school. My experience of attending this school was often troubling. The school was located near a controversial shrine called Yasukuni, which was frequented by extreme nationalists. They gathered because it enshrines over a thousand convicted war criminals, along with many other war victims. In order to get to and from school and other parts of my life, I had to ride an overly crowded subway with the risk of sexual assault or neglected by others. It was painful to experience the gender inequality and the imposition of the ideas of desirable women embedded in the entire society. All those observations and experiences led me to doubt and question the professed belief system and perceptions in all societies.
Therefore, my work is deeply influenced by these aspects. For me, art is to liberate from condition and suppression to reveal something that won't be expressed otherwise. I would like to create art that questions preconceived perceptions and beliefs and brings new ones.
略歴
東京都出身、早稲田大学第一文学部文芸専修卒業後、ニューヨークに渡り、ジャクソンポロックやアイウェイウェイなど数々の著名アーティストを輩出した歴史あるアートスクール、アートスチューデンツリーグオブニューヨークにて絵画彫刻などを学び、ネサコーヘン賞など数々の賞を受賞。現在は同校にて金属彫刻の講師を勤める。主な展示はLesley Heller Gallery、Affordable Art Fair,、Berkeley College Gallery、The Center for Contemporary Art Bedminster、Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts、Williamsburg Art and Historical Centerなどニューヨークを拠点に制作、展示を行っている。主な大規模な野外彫刻の展示は、ブランコが作品の一部となっている “Window” がRiverside Park, Manhattanにて２０１４から１５年にかけて展示され、その第２作目となる “Window II” がRye Town Park, Ryeにて２０１９から２０年にかけて展示された。２０１８年にはヴェニスビエンナーレにおいて欧州文化センター主催 “Time Space Existence” 展に出展した。２０２０年のコラボレーション作品、“What Is Your Name?” はニューヨークのラガーディア空港で行われたアートポートプログラムにて人々との交流を通じて制作され、同作はニューヨーク・ニュージャージー港湾管理局（Port Authority of NY and NJ）のコレクションとなっている。その他、自身が金属彫刻のディレクターを務めるNY彫刻家協会（Sculptors Alliance, NY）主催の展示のキュレーションも行っている。
Contact
takaujinatsuki@gmail.com