Artist's confidant and assistant to Robert Rauschenberg, Hisachika Takahashi, passes away at 85 years old.
Obituary: Renowned Japanese Artist Hisachika Takahashi Passes Away at 85
Hisachika Takahashi, a Japanese artist who made a significant impact on the international art scene with his collaborative and communal art practice, passed away at the age of 85.
Born in Tokyo in 1940, Takahashi's artistic journey began at Tama Art University, where he studied sculpture. In 1962, he moved to Milan, working as an assistant to Italian sculptors Roberto Crippa and Lucio Fontana. His role extended beyond technical help, encompassing studio management and personal care for these artists[1].
Takahashi immigrated to the United States in 1969, where he met the influential American artist Robert Rauschenberg. Their connection marked a turning point in Takahashi's career, as he became Rauschenberg's longtime friend and studio assistant from the late 1960s onward[2][3]. He notably helped with one of Rauschenberg’s works titled Carnal Clock.
Takahashi's work showed similarities to Rauschenberg's, incorporating clipped material from mass media that he collaged together[2]. He exhibited his "flower paintings" in 1967, characterized by images of flowers applied to canvas painted in neon shades[1]. Lucio Fontana praised Takahashi's 1967 exhibition, stating that it "secures his artistic future"[1].
In the United States, Takahashi continued to work, serving as an assistant to Robert Rauschenberg until the latter's death in 2008. During this time, he took on various roles, overseeing the space, taking care of the artist's animals and plants, and even serving as an in-house security guard[4]. The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation issued a statement expressing condolences upon Takahashi's death, describing him as a "consummate artist" with various roles including studio assistant, art handler, conservator, gardener, cook, and handy-man[4].
Takahashi remained relatively obscure for years despite his close connections to well-known Western artists. However, in the past decade, he had emerged as an artist's artist[5]. He collaborated with Hong Kong's Empty Gallery on a current show[5]. Yuki Okumura helped bring Takahashi's work to the wider public, exhibiting it at venues such as the WIELS Centre for Contemporary Art in Brussels and the Fondazione Prada in Milan[6].
Takahashi's legacy will live on, not only through his own groundbreaking work but also through his collaborations with artists like Rauschenberg and Fontana. He will be remembered as a pioneer in the art world, pushing boundaries and fostering connections between artists from different cultures and backgrounds.
*Sources:*
- Artnet News
- The Art Newspaper
- Hyperallergic
- Robert Rauschenberg Foundation
- ArtAsiaPacific
- The Japan Times
Hisachika Takahashi, an artist who worked with renowned sculptors such as Roberto Crippa and Lucio Fontana before collaborating with Robert Rauschenberg, passed away at 85. Born in Tokyo, Takahashi studied sculpture at Tama Art University and later moved to Milan. His experimental works, displayed in galleries and museums, incorporated elements of contemporary art and painting, including collages of mass media materials. In the art world, Takahashi has emerged as an "artist's artist," recently collaborating with Hong Kong's Empty Gallery on a current show. Despite his close connections to well-known Western artists, his legacy has only recently come to light in the past decade, most notably through exhibitions at the WIELS Centre for Contemporary Art in Brussels and the Fondazione Prada in Milan.
