TAKESHI YAMADA
SHORT BIOGRAPHY
SHORT BIOGRAPHY
Artist, educator, and author Takeshi Yamada (山田 武司) was born and raised at a traditional and respectable house of samurai in Osaka, Japan in 1960. He began oil painting at the age of 10 (fifth grade), and decided to become an artist at 16. As an international exchange student of Osaka Art University, he moved to the United States in 1983 and studied art at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, CA and Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, MD in 1983-85, and completed his Bachelor of Fine Art degree in 1985. Yamada obtained his Master of Fine Art Degree at the University of Michigan, School of Art in Ann Arbor, MI in 1987.
As a painter, Yamada’s ‘Visual Anthropology" artworks reflect unique, distinctive and often quickly disappearing American culture around him. In 1987, Yamada moved to Chicago, and by 1990, Yamada successfully fused Eastern and Western visual culture and variety of cross-cultural mythology in urban allegories, and he became a major figure of the River North art scene. His painting graced the cover of the book, "Chicago art Scene". His paintings of New Orleans Mardi Gras granted him solo exhibitions at Louisiana State Museum and Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, in addition to be the part of the major group show at Meguroku Museum of Art in Tokyo. By 1990, his artworks were widely exhibited internationally. In 2000, Yamada moved to New York City.
As a sculptor, Yamada's "Rogue Taxidermy" artworks reflect his passion for oddities, curiosities, freaks, and wonders whether they were created by nature or human (gaffs). Takeshi Yamada developed a passion for collecting natural specimens at a young age and by kindergarten had transformed his bedroom into the “Cabinet of Curiosities.” By age eight, Yamada had created dozens of taxidermy “monsters” including stag-horned beetles with butterfly wings and two-headed lizards. Yamada is a resident of New York’s fabled Coney Island, where he operates the Freak Baby Museum as well as the Museum of World Wonders, which features a 32-foot giant sea serpent, a six-foot mummified mermaid, and an eight-legged 6-foot spider dog. He also created dozens of sideshow gaffs and giant picture banners for major nation-wide traveling sideshow companies. Known for wearing vintage tuxedos, French berets and top hats, Yamada is most often seen with his most prized accessory, Seara – a creation of half rabbit, half duck with a seal’s tail - a furry ode to Coney Island whose original Dutch name translates to “Rabbit Island.”
Internationally, Yamada had over 650 major fine art exhibitions including 49 solo exhibitions including Spain, The Netherlands, Japan, and the United States. Yamada also taught classes and made public speeches at over 40 educational institutions including American Museum of Natural History, Louisiana State Museum, Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, International Museum of Surgical Science, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, Montana State University, Eastern Oregon University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Mount Vernon Nazarene College, Salem State College, Osaka College of Arts, Chemeketa Community College, Maryland Institute College of Art, etc.
Yamada won numerous prestigious awards and honors i.e., “International Man of the Year”, “Outstanding Artists and Designers of the 20th Century”, “2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century”, “International Educator of the Year”, “One Thousand Great Americans”, “Outstanding People of the 20th Century”, “21st Century Award for Achievement”, “Who’s Who in America” and “Who’s Who in The World”. The Mayors of New Orleans, Louisiana and Gary, Indiana awarded him the “Key to the City”. Yamada’s artworks are collections of many museums and universities/colleges i.e., Louisiana State Museum, New Orleans Museum of Art, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Chicago Athenaeum Museum, Eastern Oregon University, Montana State University and Ohio State University.
Yamada and his artworks were profiled in over 20 TV programs across the United States i.e., "Immortalised" in AMC cable TV series, "Rats, Bats & Bugs" in A&E History Channel TV series, Evening News NYC Channel 11, "Caught In The Act: Takeshi Yamada, Rogue Taxidermist," in Brooklyn Independent Television, "Wreath: Interpretations" in Eileen Remor on NY1 TV show, "VISUAL SIGNATURES: featuring Takeshi Yamada" in Brooklyn Cable Access Television, "Rogue Taxidermy" in The Hour in Canada, “Chicago’s Very Own” in Chicago, "Channel ID" of the Chicago Public Television, “Takeshi Yamada’s Divine Comedy: New Orleans Mardi Gras” in New Orleans Channel 4 television, "Eye Witness News” of New Orleans Channel 43 Television, Art Collector’s Benefit Auction & Exhibition” in New Orleans Channel 12 Television, "Mongolian Death Worm" in the TV show in Japan, "Mermaids" in the TV show in Philippine, etc.
Yamada also published 22 books based on his each major fine art projects i.e., “Homage to the Horseshoe Crab”, Medical Journal of the Artist”, “Graphic Works 1996-1999”, “Phantom City”, “Divine Comedy”, “Miniatures”, “Louisville”, “Visual Anthropology 2000”, “Heaven and Hell”, “Citizen Kings” and “Dukes and Saints” in the United States.
In prints, Yamada and his artworks were featured in numerous books, magazine and newspapers i.e., Wall Street Journal (interview of his 32 foot Giant Sea Serpent Wreath), Washington Post magazine (8-legged spider dog), Timeout New York magazine (full page interview with color portrait photo), NY Times, NY Daily News (newspaper, full page interview with two portrait photos; color portrait photo with Seara with costumed paraders), Smothsonian Magazine, NY Magazine (portrait photo), Brooklyn Daily Eagle (newspaper), The Fine Art Index, New American Paintings, Village Voice (full page interview with portrait photo), Chicago Art Scene (front cover), Chicago Tribune Magazine (major color article with multiple photos), Chicago Japanese American News, Strong Coffee, Reader, Milwaukee Journal, Clarion, Kaleidoscope, Laurel Leader-Call, The Advertiser News, New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper (front color page, major interview and articles in 2 days), Michigan Alumnus (major color article), Michigan Today (major color article), Mardi Gras Guide (major 2-page color article), The Ann Arbor News (front covers), Park Slope Courier (color pages), 24/7 (color pages), Brooklyn Free Press (front cover) and Los Angels The World Tribune (full page interview and article).
Photo by AMC Network Entertainment LLC. 2012. Unscripted television series Immortalized.
As a painter, Yamada’s ‘Visual Anthropology" artworks reflect unique, distinctive and often quickly disappearing American culture around him. In 1987, Yamada moved to Chicago, and by 1990, Yamada successfully fused Eastern and Western visual culture and variety of cross-cultural mythology in urban allegories, and he became a major figure of the River North art scene. His painting graced the cover of the book, "Chicago art Scene". His paintings of New Orleans Mardi Gras granted him solo exhibitions at Louisiana State Museum and Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, in addition to be the part of the major group show at Meguroku Museum of Art in Tokyo. By 1990, his artworks were widely exhibited internationally. In 2000, Yamada moved to New York City.
As a sculptor, Yamada's "Rogue Taxidermy" artworks reflect his passion for oddities, curiosities, freaks, and wonders whether they were created by nature or human (gaffs). Takeshi Yamada developed a passion for collecting natural specimens at a young age and by kindergarten had transformed his bedroom into the “Cabinet of Curiosities.” By age eight, Yamada had created dozens of taxidermy “monsters” including stag-horned beetles with butterfly wings and two-headed lizards. Yamada is a resident of New York’s fabled Coney Island, where he operates the Freak Baby Museum as well as the Museum of World Wonders, which features a 32-foot giant sea serpent, a six-foot mummified mermaid, and an eight-legged 6-foot spider dog. He also created dozens of sideshow gaffs and giant picture banners for major nation-wide traveling sideshow companies. Known for wearing vintage tuxedos, French berets and top hats, Yamada is most often seen with his most prized accessory, Seara – a creation of half rabbit, half duck with a seal’s tail - a furry ode to Coney Island whose original Dutch name translates to “Rabbit Island.”
Internationally, Yamada had over 650 major fine art exhibitions including 49 solo exhibitions including Spain, The Netherlands, Japan, and the United States. Yamada also taught classes and made public speeches at over 40 educational institutions including American Museum of Natural History, Louisiana State Museum, Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, International Museum of Surgical Science, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, Montana State University, Eastern Oregon University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Mount Vernon Nazarene College, Salem State College, Osaka College of Arts, Chemeketa Community College, Maryland Institute College of Art, etc.
Yamada won numerous prestigious awards and honors i.e., “International Man of the Year”, “Outstanding Artists and Designers of the 20th Century”, “2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century”, “International Educator of the Year”, “One Thousand Great Americans”, “Outstanding People of the 20th Century”, “21st Century Award for Achievement”, “Who’s Who in America” and “Who’s Who in The World”. The Mayors of New Orleans, Louisiana and Gary, Indiana awarded him the “Key to the City”. Yamada’s artworks are collections of many museums and universities/colleges i.e., Louisiana State Museum, New Orleans Museum of Art, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Chicago Athenaeum Museum, Eastern Oregon University, Montana State University and Ohio State University.
Yamada and his artworks were profiled in over 20 TV programs across the United States i.e., "Immortalised" in AMC cable TV series, "Rats, Bats & Bugs" in A&E History Channel TV series, Evening News NYC Channel 11, "Caught In The Act: Takeshi Yamada, Rogue Taxidermist," in Brooklyn Independent Television, "Wreath: Interpretations" in Eileen Remor on NY1 TV show, "VISUAL SIGNATURES: featuring Takeshi Yamada" in Brooklyn Cable Access Television, "Rogue Taxidermy" in The Hour in Canada, “Chicago’s Very Own” in Chicago, "Channel ID" of the Chicago Public Television, “Takeshi Yamada’s Divine Comedy: New Orleans Mardi Gras” in New Orleans Channel 4 television, "Eye Witness News” of New Orleans Channel 43 Television, Art Collector’s Benefit Auction & Exhibition” in New Orleans Channel 12 Television, "Mongolian Death Worm" in the TV show in Japan, "Mermaids" in the TV show in Philippine, etc.
Yamada also published 22 books based on his each major fine art projects i.e., “Homage to the Horseshoe Crab”, Medical Journal of the Artist”, “Graphic Works 1996-1999”, “Phantom City”, “Divine Comedy”, “Miniatures”, “Louisville”, “Visual Anthropology 2000”, “Heaven and Hell”, “Citizen Kings” and “Dukes and Saints” in the United States.
In prints, Yamada and his artworks were featured in numerous books, magazine and newspapers i.e., Wall Street Journal (interview of his 32 foot Giant Sea Serpent Wreath), Washington Post magazine (8-legged spider dog), Timeout New York magazine (full page interview with color portrait photo), NY Times, NY Daily News (newspaper, full page interview with two portrait photos; color portrait photo with Seara with costumed paraders), Smothsonian Magazine, NY Magazine (portrait photo), Brooklyn Daily Eagle (newspaper), The Fine Art Index, New American Paintings, Village Voice (full page interview with portrait photo), Chicago Art Scene (front cover), Chicago Tribune Magazine (major color article with multiple photos), Chicago Japanese American News, Strong Coffee, Reader, Milwaukee Journal, Clarion, Kaleidoscope, Laurel Leader-Call, The Advertiser News, New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper (front color page, major interview and articles in 2 days), Michigan Alumnus (major color article), Michigan Today (major color article), Mardi Gras Guide (major 2-page color article), The Ann Arbor News (front covers), Park Slope Courier (color pages), 24/7 (color pages), Brooklyn Free Press (front cover) and Los Angels The World Tribune (full page interview and article).
Photo by AMC Network Entertainment LLC. 2012. Unscripted television series Immortalized.
This is the official fine art website of the Japanese-American artist, rogue taxidermist, educator, and author, Takeshi Yamada (山田 武司). Images contained on this website may not be used or reproduced in any manner without the explicit permission of the artist. For information on obtaining the rights to use images on this site, contact Takeshi Yamada at [email protected] with “image licensing” as the subject line.
© Copyright, Takeshi Yamada, All Rights Reserved.
© Copyright, Takeshi Yamada, All Rights Reserved.