Takatoku NISHI (born 1 Nov 1989, Gifu, Japan. Currently based in Tokyo).
He is fascinated by the transitory yet intense beauty of the ever-changing, fleeting scenes that nature produces. He finds the atmospheric optical phenomena contained in these scenes and reconstructs them through 'materials' and 'structures'. It becomes a space of light, creating a spatial experience that we have never experienced before. One of the characteristics of the work is that it does not simply imitate nature, but uses geometric forms to give people a different impression from the organic forms of nature. Another characteristic of his work is that he incorporates the forces of nature, such as the sun and wind, into his artworks, creating new scenes that he creates together with nature.
Takatoku NISHI consistently faces the mystique of light, while at the same time keeping in mind the 'Atmosphere.' that drifts from the work. This is interpreted as the true nature of the unique qualities of space that cannot be sensed through paintings or video images. The Atmosphere is created by harmonising the work and the environment surrounding it.
The artwork serves as a medium to bring the spectacle of nature closer to us. They also remind us of the events that take place in the here and now and the concept of time, evoking the beauty of a familiar reality.
Background
He moved more than 10 times during his childhood due to family circumstances, which led to a strong focus on buildings. And at the age of nine, he dreamt of becoming an architect. His family was poor, and he had to make his own playthings, which resulted in a craft-loving child. He always liked to play in nature, in forests, rice fields and rivers. In 2005, he moved to Tokyo.
In 2008, he entered a technical college. Studied practical architectural work, specialising in interior design. Graduated in 2010 with excellent grades. He planned to start working immediately after graduation, but due to the economic recession, he was unable to find a job for a year. He decided to go to university to make up for the elements he lacked and, after a year of self-study, entered the Department of Environmental Design at Tama Art University in 2012. He met lighting designer Satoshi Uchihara in 2013 and became obsessed with the fascination of light. In 2015, he was also strongly influenced by Japanese garden designer and temple abbot Shunmyo Masuno. This experience allowed his hidden talent to flourish, giving birth to his unique worldview of 'Light and Mitate'. (Mitate : means metaphor. It is a traditional Japanese idea.) His achievements include being the first student to win the first prize in Architectural Lighting Design Competition organised by The Japan Institute of Architects in 2013, as well as several competitions and several scholarships both on and off campus. He received his Bachelor's degree at the top graduated in 2016 with 'MIRAGE CUBE', a spatial work in which structure and phenomenon intersect.
In 2016, he entered the master's programmed in design at Tokyo University of the Arts, where he began full-scale research on space of light. After entering the university, he co-founded and heads the group 'Space Production Lab.', which was derived from his own laboratory. The Lab's work has been called upon to present its work at various events every year, both in Japan and abroad, from 2016 to the present. These have included the European Capital of Culture - Valletta 2018 in Malta and ART SEASIDE NAOETSU in Niigata Prefecture. He received his MFA in 2018 with an intramural award for SKY PATH, a metaphor for the path of the moon.
In 2018, he entered a PhD programmed in design at Tokyo University of the Arts in order to further his research. His work in Malta led to an artist in residence being decided in 2018-2019. He presented two spatial works in Malta at that time. During his stay, he also travelled around the Netherlands and other parts of Western Europe to study 'Dutch light', which he had always admired, and conducted research on natural light and architecture with attractive natural light. Based on this research, he discovered that there are three elements underlying his work: 'natural scene', 'atmosphere' and 'Mitate', and in 2020 he published a paper entitled 'Phenomena of Light and Atmosphere'. He then published his own masterpiece, 'Ripple'. He received his PhD with first class honors.
In 2021, he entered the PhD programmed for the second time, the first time since the beginning of the Tokyo University of the Arts. He is currently working in the laboratory of Mitsuhiro Kanada, a specialist in structure in the field of architectural research, where he researches phenomena generated by structure.His entire life to date has been a foreshadowing of his ideal 'space of light'.
