Draft:Hiroko Takayama

  • Comment: There's not much here. (Saying that somebody was a panelist at such-and-such a symposium is desperate.)
    There is, however, the promise of more, within In 2022, she exhibited her work in "Upendra Maharathi and Hiroko Takayama: Weaving Ties between Japan and India through Painting," held at the Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum. Having a solo (or half-of-a-duo) exhibition in one of the prefectural galleries is quite an achievement. But this straightforward claim comes with no reference. Also, I'd expect that such an exhibition would be described (and perhaps reviewed) in Chūgoku shinbun and the like: where are the summaries of these descriptions?
    Incidentally, while English translations of the Japanese (or Hindi or whatever) titles of sources are welcome as additions, the draft should supply the actual (original) titles: 「描いたインド愛　モディ首相に　広島の洋画家、菩薩の絵を贈る」, etc. -- Hoary (talk) 02:52, 30 August 2024 (UTC)


Hiroko Takayama (Japanese: 高山博子) is a painter, vice president of the Hiroshima Japan-India Society, a member of the Japan Artists Federation, and a visiting professor at Tagore International University in India.

Early Life and Education

Hiroko Takayama was born on May 7, 1958, in Hiroshima, Japan. Hiroko's father told her that the "Hiroko" in her name was taken from Gandhi's famous quote, "philanthropy." In 1981, while still a junior high school teacher, she visited India for the first time at the age of 23. She traveled to various places, including the Ajanta and Ellora caves, and was fascinated. She graduated from Motomachi High School in Hiroshima and subsequently earned her degree from Osaka University of Arts in 1982. After graduating from the Department of Fine Arts at Osaka University of Arts, Takayama taught at a junior high school in Osaka Prefecture, and then worked as an art instructor at her alma mater, Hiroshima Municipal Motomachi High School, for 22 years. She has continued to create since then, and her India series includes about 80 pieces.


Career

Takayama is a prominent painter and a vice president of the Hiroshima Japan-India Society. She is also a member of the Japan Artists Federation and has served as a visiting professor at the international Rabindranath Tagore University, Bhopal in India, Rissho University, and Hijiyama University.

In 2009, Takayama began her tenure as a visiting professor at Tagore International University, in addition to her roles at Rissho University and Hijiyama University. Her work often focuses on themes related to India, a country she first visited at age 23. She has enhanced her sketching skills through extensive travels in India and Japan.[1] This experience significantly influenced her art, leading her to produce works centered on Indian women and spirituality, which was her motivation to create the exhibition "Prayer for Peace", covered in several major Japanese newspapers, including The Yomiuri Shimbun, one of the five major newspapers in Japan (and was credited with having the largest newspaper circulation in the world at 2019), saying Hiroko Takayama has expressed her desire to promote peace through her art, especially in light of current global conflicts, including the ongoing war in Ukraine and tensions in Gaza. [2] Another major Japanese newspaper, The Chugoku Shimbun, described her oil painting titled "Lotus-Handed Bodhisattva," which measures 72 cm by 60 cm and features a fantastical depiction of the Bodhisattva from the Ajanta Caves alongside a woman holding a lotus. Takayama, a second-generation hibakusha, expressed her joy at being able to hand the painting directly to PM Modi, which encouraged her to continue fostering cultural exchanges between artists of both nations, reinforcing her commitment to act as a bridge for cultural dialogue. [3].

Significant Events and Exhibitions

Takayama was a panelist at a symposium commemorating the 150th anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore's birth and participated in events at the International House of Japan, marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and India as described in The Asahi Shimbun, one of the five largest newspapers in Japan: "Appearing in a kimono was Hiroko Takayama (65), a Western-style painter living in Hiroshima City. Fascinated by the vast nature and mysticism of India, the artist has created works with a passionate touch that mainly focus on women as the theme".[4]

In 2022, she exhibited her work in "Upendra Maharathi and Hiroko Takayama: Weaving Ties between Japan and India through Painting," held at the Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum. The official Museum website keeps online the exhibition page, which show not only some of Takayama's works but also an extensive explanation in a video, by Hiroko Takayama herself, talking about her work (in Japanese). [5] This exhibition was organized by Hiroshima Prefecture, the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi and the Consulate-General of India [6] and was cover nationwide. The Asahi Shimbun reported how Takayama was attracted by the mysticism of India when she first visited the country at the age of 23, and has since painted mainly on the theme of Indian women. It quoted Takayama who said, "I hope that visitors will be able to sense the charm of India's nature, history, culture, and human activities." [7]

On May 20, 2023, during the 49th G7 summit in Hiroshima, Takayama was invited by the Indian government to present her artwork "Renge Shu Bodhisattva" to Following this, on May 20, 2024, Takayama founded the Hiroshima Japan-India Society, coinciding with the anniversary of her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to whom she said: "For me, painting is proof that I am alive. Holding a paintbrush is like breathing. That fire never went out, even while raising children. It is the result of continuing to paint in silence".

  1. ^ 「グローバルサウス」の主役モディ首相に作品贈呈　広島に在住する女性画家のインド愛 - Hiroshima-based painter express her love for India
  2. ^ 平和祈り　インド描く Prayer for Peace - Painting India, Yomiuri Shimbun
  3. ^ 絵画で結んだインドと広島　画家の高山さん、モディ首相と交流 - India and Hiroshima connected through paintings, Chugoku Shimbun
  4. ^ 描いたインド愛　モディ首相に　広島の洋画家、菩薩の絵を贈る - Love for India: Hiroshima Western-style painter presents painting of Bodhisattva to PM Modi, The Asahi Shimbun
  5. ^ 絵画で紡ぐインドと日本のきずなーウペンドラ・マハラティと高山博子 - The bond between India and Japan woven through paintings - Upendra Mahrathy and Hiroko Takayama, The Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum exhibition page
  6. ^ インド・モディ首相と面会　被爆2世の画家「懸け橋に」　広島サミット - A Bridge to the Future at Hiroshima Summit
  7. ^ 日本とインド国交70年特別展　- Special exhibition celebrating 70 years of Japan-India diplomatic relations, The Asahi Shimbun