Noritaka Tatehana Biography

Central to Noritaka Tatehana's often boldly coloured, minimalist sculptures and paintings is the meeting of traditional Japanese craft with contemporary sensibilities. Noritaka is the creator of the heel-less shoes, which have now become one of the most iconic designs of contemporary fashion.

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Heel-less Shoes

Noritaka Tatehana's heel-less shoes derive from his long-standing interest in traditional Japanese culture and his particular fascination with oiran, the highest-ranking courtesans in Japan from the Edo to post-war periods. Among their accessories was takageta, tall platform clogs that symbolised oiran's status above other courtesans through their height.

Inspired by the ability of fashion to signal social status, Noritaka created his signature shoes, which retain the high platform of takageta while resembling Western high-heeled shoes in their profile. Noritaka's heel-less shoes are diverse in design, and range in appearance from floral patterns and crystal studs to Japanese plaited cords. Though impractical, they are still wearable, and garnered wide public attention in 2010 when American celebrity Lady Gaga appeared wearing them.

Engagement with Historical Japanese Culture

Beyond his heel-less shoes, Noritaka Tatehana has continued to incorporate aspects of traditional Japanese culture into his work. In 'Hairpin Series' (2014–2019), the elaborate hairpins of oiran are reimagined at an exaggerated scale as sculptures that resemble abstracted gates or butterflies, and are coated with idiosyncratic patterns. WOODCUTS, Noritaka's 2019 solo exhibition at Kosaku Kanechika in Tokyo, saw the artist create wall-mounted and floor sculptures in the shape of red parallelograms featuring five vertical incisions in reference to the Japanese tradition of incense burning.

Historical and commonplace objects in Japanese culture appear to be suspended in 'Void Sculptures', in which they are encased inside blocks of transparent acrylic: Noritaka engages with the traditional Japanese art of swordsmithing for Void Sculpture (2019), in which he suspendss a blade forged by a master swordsmith; Void Sculpture (2020) presents a pair of Japanese scissors seemingly floating among clouds within its frame.

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions include Rethink, Kosaku Kanechika, Tokyo (2021); Dual Dialogue, Kosaku Kanechika, Tokyo (2020); Noritaka Tatehana: Refashioning Beauty, Portland Japanese Garden, Portland (2019); Noritaka Tatehana & the Art of Japanese Scents, Kudan House, Tokyo (2018); Noritaka Tatehana: Aesthetics of Magic, Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum, Tokyo (2016).

Group exhibitions include Contemporary Japanese Crafts, Miyazaki Art Centre, Miyazaki (2021); The Magic of Alice in Wonderland Exhibition, Shizuoka City Museum of Art, Shizuoka (2020); Ballerina: Fashion's Modern Muse, The Museum at FIT, New York (2020); Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix (2018); Masterworks: Unpacking Fashion, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2016); Shoes: Pleasure and Pain, Victoria & Albert Museum, London (2015).

Sherry Paik | Ocula | 2021

Noritaka Tatehana
featured artworks

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Descending Painting by Noritaka Tatehana contemporary artwork painting
Noritaka Tatehana Descending Painting, 2024 Acrylic on canvas mounted on panel
97 x 145.5 cm
KOSAKU KANECHIKA Request Price & Availability
Noritaka Tatehana x Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten   Raiko by Noritaka Tatehana contemporary artwork sculpture
Noritaka Tatehana Noritaka Tatehana x Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten Raiko, 2024 Lacquer, wood (chestnut), drum skin (cow skin), metal rivet, steel, Japanese braided cord
26.8 x 22.3 x 16.8 cm
KOSAKU KANECHIKA Request Price & Availability
Noritaka Tatehana x Marukyu Shoten   Heel-less Shoes by Noritaka Tatehana contemporary artwork sculpture, textile
Noritaka Tatehana Noritaka Tatehana x Marukyu Shoten Heel-less Shoes, 2024 Dyed cowhide, dye color, cotton-silk(fabric), metal fastener
55 x 10.5 x 21.4 cm
KOSAKU KANECHIKA Request Price & Availability
Baby Heel-less Shoes by Noritaka Tatehana contemporary artwork sculpture, textile
Noritaka Tatehana Baby Heel-less Shoes, 2019 Dyed cowhide, pig suede, glass crystal, metal fastener
17 x 6.7 x 11.6 cm
KOSAKU KANECHIKA Request Price & Availability
Descending Painting (Double Doors) by Noritaka Tatehana contemporary artwork textile
Noritaka Tatehana Descending Painting (Double Doors), 2023 Acrylic, wood, silk
100 x 92 x 3 cm
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Descending Painting by Noritaka Tatehana contemporary artwork painting
Noritaka Tatehana Descending Painting, 2024 Acrylic on panel
53 x 45.5 cm
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Embossed Painting Series by Noritaka Tatehana contemporary artwork painting
Noritaka Tatehana Embossed Painting Series, 2016 Silver coating, acrylic, leather on canvas mounted on panel
163 x 131.5 cm
KOSAKU KANECHIKA Request Price & Availability
Primary Colors by Noritaka Tatehana contemporary artwork painting
Noritaka Tatehana Primary Colors, 2022 Structural color pigment, polyethylene terephthalate film, resin, acrylic on panel
53 x 45.5 cm
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