Noboru Takayama’s work is most recognisable for its consistent use of railroad ties. Differing from other artists involved in the Mono-ha movement of which he was a part, Takayama embraced the associative qualities imbued within a material. The recurrent use of railroad ties in his work has come to symbolise the socio-political unsettlement during the ant-Vietnam war years. Yuusatsu (1973) is one such example, evoking reference to the forced labour and harsh conditions in Japan’s colonies during World War II. The more recent MAKURA-GI Railroad Ties (2015) shows his continued exploration with this subject and material.
Read MoreSince graduating in 1968, Takayama has exhibited profusely. Commercial group exhibitions have included FIVE DECADES, Sculpture and Works on Paper: Koji Enokura, Noriyuki Haraguchi, Tatsuo Kawaguchi, Noboru Takayama at Simon Lee Gallery in London, and Requiem for the Sun: The Art of Mona-ha, Blum & Poe, Los Angeles (2012). In addition, the artist has participated in exhibitions at the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea (2009); Palazzo Vendramin Calergi, Venice (1995); and Musee d’art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris (1973). He has also enjoyed solo shows at numerous important space, including: Tokyo Publishing House, Tokyo, Japan (2014); SARP, Sendai, Japan (2014); The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of Arts, Tokyo, Japan (2011); Akiyama Gallery, Tokyo, Japan (2007 and 2008).
Noboru Takayama was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1944. He graduated with a BFA and MFA from Tokyo University of the Arts before continuing to teach at the Miyagi University of Education, Sendai and the Tokyo University of the Arts, where he is a Professor today.
