Early Life and Artistic Awakening
Born in Hong Kong, where his Japanese parents resided for work, Takizawa spent his formative years immersed in diverse cultural landscapes. After 16 years in Hong Kong, primarily attending Japanese schools, he developed a keen interest in English, leading him to international school. His family's subsequent move to Bangkok, Thailand, further broadened his international perspective and deepened his English studies. Growing up outside of Japan and navigating language barriers naturally steered him towards expression through drawing and sculpture. This early inclination blossomed into a passion for glass art, drawing him to the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
In 2010, Takizawa graduated with High Honors from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus on glass art. During this period, he created his first installation piece, "Auric Shelter," and received numerous academic scholarships and awards. Paradoxically, as his academic career culminated, his mental health deteriorated, leading to a diagnosis of Type II Bipolar Disorder. Lacking familial understanding of mental illness within his Asian cultural background, Takizawa found solace and expression in his art. His early works, often depicting seashell forms, symbolized an inward motif—representing enclosure, suppression, protection, and a safe space from danger, reflecting his time spent indoors during his struggles.
Professional Emergence and "Breaking the Silence"
Takizawa's career as an artist and advocate began to flourish in 2015. He embarked on extensive travels, starting with his first teaching experience at the prestigious Pilchuck Glass School. This opportunity allowed him to collaborate with master gaffers, enabling him to experiment and develop the concept for his pivotal installation, "Breaking the Silence." Immediately following his time at Pilchuck, he spent three months at STARworks Glass Lab in Star, North Carolina, meticulously developing and completing this powerful water and glass installation.
"Breaking the Silence" is a poignant commentary on suicide prevention, directly inspired by Takizawa's journey to Japan to support his younger brother through suicidal ideation. The installation, a temporary 90-minute performance, featured slanted vessels slowly filling with water until they succumbed to the liquid's weight, toppling onto a table. This evocative piece incorporated performance and sound, transcending traditional glass techniques to provoke a deeper engagement with the audience. Its insightful message has since been shared in numerous public speaking engagements, allowing Takizawa to openly discuss his experiences.
Emily Zaiden, director and curator at Craft in America Center, Los Angeles, was deeply impressed by Takizawa's candidness and the profound personal experiences embedded in his art. She remarked, "I was drawn in by Takizawa’s metaphorical use of the material to articulate new themes through new forms and new applications. He is dealing with subject matter that has been untouched and under-represented, particularly in his medium, and sharing this vital message through compelling sculptural works of beauty is perfectly in line with our mission." This admiration led to an invitation for a solo exhibition.
Catharsis Contained" and Continued Advocacy
In 2017, Takizawa presented "Catharsis Contained" at the Craft in America Center. For this exhibition, he designed and fabricated another unique installation, "Breaking the Silence II." This evolution of his previous work created an immersive aural experience: colored glass bulbs suspended within a swaying metal structure gently bumped into one another, producing a soothing, tinkling sound. This auditory element was inspired by a visit to a temple in Thailand and combined with the rich visual impact of repeated glass forms in subdued hues. "Breaking the Silence II" bravely addressed the sensitive topic of suicide, stemming from Takizawa's personal journey supporting his brother.
Since 2015, Takizawa has been a vocal advocate for mental health, openly sharing his experiences living with bipolar disorder and discussing suicide prevention. He notes, "The entire journey since then has been nothing but empowering, and I don’t regret this at all. I just wanted to be someone who could freely speak about things related to mental health without the stigma." His art serves as a powerful conduit for this mission, aiming to "give the invisible shape" to internal realities.
Recent Works and Exhibitions (2024)
Takizawa continues to craft elaborate vessels and installations, each imbued with a unique narrative universally rooted in a dialogue around mental health. His series explore broad themes like attaining minimalism amidst chaos, alongside his personal narratives of living with Bipolar Disorder and advocating for suicide prevention. His recent work includes the "Minimalist" series, featured in the "Monochromatic" exhibition which opened on February 10, 2024, at Duncan McClellan Gallery (DMG) in St. Petersburg, Florida.
His commitment to advancing the craft extends to teaching, having led influential workshops at esteemed venues nationwide such as Penland School of Craft, Pilchuck Glass School, Urban Glass, and the Appalachian Center for Craft.
Takizawa owns and operates KT Glassworks, LLC, his glassblowing studio located in the historic West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles, where he continues to create and inspire conversation. His practice offers an uncommon and inclusive space, increasing awareness and fostering vital dialogues around mental well-being.
Public Speaking and Mental Health Awareness Lectures
Takizawa has delivered numerous public speaking engagements and mental health awareness lectures at a variety of institutions and organizations across the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom. These presentations often highlight his artistic practice and its intersection with themes of mental health and suicide awareness.
Beginning in 2015, Takizawa initiated a series of lectures at educational institutions such as Columbus College of Art and Design and Palomar College, which continued with appearances at art-focused centers like STARworks Glass Lab. The years 2017 and 2018 marked a significant expansion in Takizawa's speaking calendar, with presentations at the Tokyo Glass Art Institute, the University of Southern California, the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Urban Glass in Brooklyn, and numerous other academic and community venues. These engagements consistently highlighted themes of mental health, reaching diverse audiences. Takizawa's commitment to this advocacy has been sustained over time, with continued presentations throughout 2019 and 2020 at institutions such as the Cal Wellness Foundation and the Duncan McClellan Gallery. International outreach expanded in 2021 to include the Japan Foundation in Los Angeles and the Crafts Council in London. More recently, between 2022 and 2025, engagements have included esteemed venues like Penland School of Crafts, Pilchuck Glass School, the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass, and the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, underscoring a continuous dedication to fostering dialogue around mental health through public platforms.
In this site-specific installation, Kazuki Takizawa confronts the unspoken crisis of suicide, a topic often shrouded in silence despite its rising prevalence. Inspired by his personal experience caring for someone struggling with severe suicidal ideation, Takizawa designed this work to ignite crucial dialogue. Created at STARworks Glass Lab in Star, NC, the installation featured a precise water system that gently sprinkled droplets into hundreds of irregularly shaped clear glass vessels. Each vessel, as it slowly filled to its brim, eventually succumbed to the water's weight, tipping over and falling—a powerful, visceral metaphor for a breaking point and the urgent need for conversation.
Breaking the Silence II (2017)
"Breaking the Silence II" is the 2017 evolution in Kazuki Takizawa's series dedicated to suicide awareness. This commanding seven-foot-tall sculpture invites direct engagement: the audience is encouraged to gently rock its metal structure, causing delicate glass bells to chime and literally "break the silence." These beautiful glass bells were specifically inspired by the vibrant, falling leaves of autumn, adding another layer of natural imagery to the piece. The metal component, shaped as an incomplete ensō, deeply enriches the work's meaning. In Zen Calligraphy, ensō signifies "circle" or "absolute enlightenment," and its deliberate incompleteness here speaks to the ongoing journey of mental health and the continuous need for dialogue.
Breaking the Silence III (2025)
In "Breaking the Silence III," Takizawa continues his exploration of suicide prevention, aiming to shatter the silence and stigma surrounding this critical issue. This expansive glass installation features an approximately 8-foot-long table, meticulously constructed from both blown and pressed glass components. Its central element is a continuous water feature, where droplets steadily drip across the glass surface, rhythmically filling and overflowing from integrated glass vessels throughout the exhibit. Takizawa intentionally elevates this aural experience to the piece's focal point. The constant, gentle sound of water—a literal "breaking of the silence"—serves as a compelling invitation to open dialogue, fostering awareness and destigmatizing conversations around suicide prevention.
Conceived and constructed by Kazuki Takizawa while at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, "Auric Shelter" is a captivating eleven-foot-tall installation. This monumental, shell-like form is comprised of more than three hundred individually crafted, custom-colored Plexiglass panels. Takizawa strategically utilized chromotherapy studies to inform his color palette, carefully choosing shades that would project soothing, stress-relieving light within the space. The result is an enveloping environment that highlights the artist's early mastery of scale and his inherent drive to create immersive, healing experiences through glass.
In Between Light and Shadow (2017)
A compelling manifestation of hidden journeys, Kazuki Takizawa's "In Between Light and Shadow" (2017) is an installation crafted from over 1100 delicate, paper-thin glass shards. This work, created during his residency at STARworks Glass Lab in Star, NC, visually articulates the transition from despair to hope, aiming to illuminate the often-invisible realities of mental illness and suicide prevention. The inherent fragility of the piece, with its shards subtly responding to audience presence and air currents, powerfully underscores the sensitive and vital nature of its subject matter.
This installation, originally conceived as the central piece for Kazuki Takizawa's solo exhibition at the Craft Contemporary Museum in Los Angeles, offers a vibrant, yet deeply personal, exploration of bipolar disorder. The artwork features numerous bottles, each crowned with colorful, flower-like stoppers that vividly represent the artist's experiences with episodes of hypomania. Surrounding these bottles, a delicate nest is formed from thousands of individually hand-folded paper cranes. These cranes, many generously donated through online outreach programs in collaboration with the museum during the stay-at-home order, were custom-colored in Takizawa's studio to evoke the fragile beauty of fallen leaves, symbolizing transformation and the collective support found in the community.
Originally conceived as the centerpiece for Kazuki Takizawa's solo exhibition at the Craft Contemporary Museum in Los Angeles, it offers a vibrant, yet deeply personal, exploration of bipolar disorder. Titled 'Brainstorm,' the artwork features a mesmerizing array of individual clear, glass-like elements suspended from above, forming a shimmering, dynamic cascade. Each intricately formed element—with its organic, swirling, and looped shapes—captures and refracts light. These curves and loops echo the individual brushstrokes and scribbles found in writing. The collective arrangement coalesces into a horizontal cloud or ethereal cluster against the stark, dark background, powerfully suggesting a mind in constant flux, marked by both frenetic energy and quiet contemplation. It's a hauntingly beautiful and visceral snapshot into the intricate landscape of a mind grappling with bipolarity, simultaneously vibrant and profoundly intimate.
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