Noritaka Tatehana presents a redesigned worldview by combining elements of traditional Japanese culture with those of the contemporary era. His carefully honed artistry is elegantly expressed through various media, and his creations, which nurture the sensitivities of Japanese history, tradition, and innovation, burst with endless possibilities for the future. Gaining the attention of audiences all over the globe, Tatehana is known for his ‘Heel-less Shoes’ series inspired by ‘takageta’— elevated wooden clogs worn by traditional Japanese courtesans.

 

Noritaka Tatehana was born in Tokyo, Japan and is based in Tokyo. Tatehana graduated in 2010 from the Department of Crafts at Tokyo University of the Arts, specializing in textile arts. Tatehana has presented his work in exhibitions such as “Contemporary Japanese Crafts” (an exhibition touring Tokyo, Miyazaki, Kyoto, and Nagoya, 2020-22), “Image Makers” (21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, 2014), and “Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion” (The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, 2012). He has also held various solo exhibitions, including “Distance” (Hagi Uragami Museum, Yamaguchi, 2023) , “NORITAKA TATEHANA: Refashioning Beauty” (Portland Japanese Garden, 2019), “It’s always the others who die” (POLA Museum Annex, 2019), and “NORITAKA TATEHANA: Aesthetics of Magic” (Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum, 2016). Tatehana has also worked on a wide range of other projects, including producing a bunraku performance in 2016 at the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Arts in Paris. His works have been acquired by institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.