BIOGRAPHY

TAKAHASHI Hiroko

At the intersection of art and fashion, HIROKO TAKAHASHI applies the minimalist elements of curvature and linearity to capture the infinite possibilities inherent in the finite circle and line: the two most fundamental of forms. Her creative process begins with small-scale, hand-drawn original motifs, enabling her to compose lines, curves, and dots at the same speed as her ideas. By constraining this creative energy within a geometric baseline, these hand-drawn originals can later be expanded into bold, large-scale patterns.

After receiving her PhD from the Tokyo University of the Arts, Takahashi applied this aesthetic sensibility to reimagine Japanese kimono design. She has developed these carefully crafted motifs into renowned kimono textiles and washi paper prints, fusing the modern with the traditional and the subtle with the provocative. Her circles and line patterns have also been printed on products for daily use. As a visual artist, she continues to be inspired by transcending constraints, as well as her knowledge of Japanese art and aesthetics, in which true creativity emerges from and recasts the limits of the medium.

This design philosophy guides the products of Takahashi’s brand HIROCOLEDGE, leading to collaborations with Adidas, BMW, and IKEA, in addition to an exhibition at the V&A (London) where her kimono became part of the permanent collection. Returning from fashion to art, her most recent work goes back to her roots—the rich, evocative power of her trademark circle-and-line patterns, represented on canvases in large-scale installations. Thus Takahashi’s motifs continues to provoke innovative ways to overturn fixed ideas and spark new ways of thinking.


EDUCATION
BFA, Tokyo University of the Arts (2000)
MFA, Tokyo University of the Arts (2002)
Ph.D. Tokyo University of the Arts (2008)

LATEST UPDATES

IKEA / 2024

 

 

IKEA / 2024

Born 1977.
1996 Graduated in Fashion Design from Saitama prefectural Niiza Comprehensive Technical High School.
Entered Tokyo University of the Arts, Dept. of Crafts.
2002 Started work as a designer in an apparel company once completing her Master’s in Fine Arts, majoring in dyeing and weaving.
2003 Enrolls again into Tokyo University of the Arts for PhD.
2005 Invited by Culture France, then the AFAA (French Association for Artistic Action) of The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Resides and works in Cité Internationale des Arts.
2006 Founds HIROCOLEDGE Co., Ltd.
2008 Completes PhD.
2013 Changes company name to TAKAHASHIHIROKO INC.
2014 Renovating a 50-year-old factory, opens her own studio. (Design by Jo Nagasaka, Schemata Architects)
2019 Selected as part of the permanent collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
2021 Appointed as a professor at Musashino Art University in Tokyo.
Born 1977.
1996 Graduated in Fashion Design from Saitama prefectural Niiza Comprehensive Technical High School.
Entered Tokyo University of the Arts, Dept. of Crafts.
2002 Started work as a designer in an apparel company once completing her Master’s in Fine Arts, majoring in dyeing and weaving.
2003 Enrolls again into Tokyo University of the Arts for PhD.
2005 Invited by Culture France, then the AFAA (French Association for Artistic Action) of The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Resides and works in Cité Internationale des Arts.
2006 Founds HIROCOLEDGE Co., Ltd.
2008 Completes PhD.
2013 Changes company name to TAKAHASHIHIROKO INC.
2014 Renovating a 50-year-old factory, opens her own studio. (Design by Jo Nagasaka, Schemata Architects)
2019 Selected as part of the permanent collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
2021 Appointed as a professor at Musashino Art University in Tokyo.