Tomoko Takahashi, a Japanese artist, was born in Tokyo in 1966 and has been based in London since the early 1990s. Her education includes studies at Tama Art University, Goldsmiths College, and the Slade School of Fine Art.
Takahashi’s primary medium is installation art, often utilizing found objects, and is primarily site-specific. While she originally studied painting at Tama Art University, her interest in working with found objects was sparked during her time at Goldsmiths in 1994.
She gained recognition after winning the EAST award at EASTinternational in 1997 and has since exhibited her works globally. Some notable exhibitions include Beaconsfield, London (1998), the Saatchi Gallery’s 1999 New Neurotic Realism exhibition, UCLA’s Hammer Gallery (2002-03), the Serpentine Galleries in London, the De La Warr Pavilion (2010), and her works have been collected by the Tate.
In 2000, she was a finalist for the Turner Prize, alongside Glenn Brown, Michael Raedecker, and eventual winner Wolfgang Tillmans.
Takahashi’s preferred approach for her artistic process, specifically for installation pieces, involves immersing herself in the space where the art will be displayed. She gathers scraps and debris from the surroundings, which she often incorporates into the final product. Though these scenes often evoke a sense of chaos, Takahashi’s meticulous attention to detail is a defining aspect of her work. Her first installation of this style, “Company Deal” (1997), utilized discarded materials from an office space to spill over its walls and furniture. The piece was commissioned by an advertising agency in Battersea for their office space.
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