Welcome to the gallery of work of the international contemporary artist Akane Takayama. We hope you enjoy browsing her catalogue and discovering more about the fascinating commentary her insights provide. The gallery is organised by a series of work which is in varying media. Each series seeks to be on a distinct theme, however, there are cross-references between these groups of work. Takayama has utilised a concept of juxtaposition, materially, conceptually and symbolically, to convey her voice.

To view the collections, please click on the images below.

Takayama’s vision revealed in her art is one of looking at how we place value in our lives. As a body of work, there is a reliance on elements juxtaposing but without conflict; rather in a harmonious resonance. How does the stone and sweat of a Christian 14th century European cathedral sit on sand and plastic shaped in liquidity? How do ammonites, long dead fossils, once alive, fit seamlessly into a car, powered by fossil fuel but shaped in forged metal and moulded plastics?, for the inquisitive Takayama presents images which can be explored and considered.

As a person coming from the Japanese culture and moving to the western culture at an early age, there is much in her work which reflects a cross-cultural exchange of ideas. Her mother culture is famed for its ability to produce uniformity and order. Amongst the grand designs of traditional Japanese art, individual innovations required by contemporary art struggle for expression. For Takayama, leaving Japan was essential to become immersed in the contemporary art narrative. For her, to be a serious contemporary artist required a commitment to being part of another culture and all the challenges that present.

In the body of work, you see on this site, this vision of a cross-cultural journey is ever present. In all of her work, Akane Takayama asks questions of the world before us in subtle and elegant ways. Her art presents us all with a challenge to understand that contemporary art is much more than raw materials, money from the global wealthy or exploitation of gullibility. For Takayama, contemporary art is about statements of perspective on the times we live in.