Natsuki Takauji: I always enjoyed the once-a-week art classes in school and some of the work I made; I still remember them to be pretty good for an untrained kid. I knew I could do it better than the others and I was passionate about making something unique and different. I remember wanting to make all my clothes and bags because I didn’t want to wear mass-produced products that were designed by someone else. Of course, I couldn’t make everything, but I made a lot.

Since my parents didn’t let me apply to art schools, I was thinking of studying fashion or design but as I was never interested in following the trends or in the business aspects, that wouldn’t have worked out. That’s why I pursued fine art, and additionally, I felt as if there was no limitation to freeing my individual expression. In the end, I majored in creative writing at Waseda University in Tokyo. Creating a series of poems and novels gave me joy, and helped me realize that I felt limited, because not everything is fully describable in words; then it became clear that I needed to explore the visual arts. Today, I would not know what else to other than to be a visual artist.

NT: It all began in 2013 when I was nominated by the Model to Monument   (M2M) program to develop a public sculpture on Riverside Park South in 2014-15. It was a big deal for me since the program was organized and commissioned by the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation and The Art Students League of New York. “Window” was the name of my very first public monument. It incorporated a functional swing within a dome-like sculpture. I wanted to share an experience where a person would first feel enclosed, and then, when the person swings to the outside space—overlooking the Hudson River, the person gets the unusual sensation of escape. The work was so successful that I learned that public art could have a tremendous impact in the community, and I knew it wouldn’t be my last public art piece. That’s why it became my mission to create “Window II”, knowing already the complexities involved in materializing a public art piece at this scale.

NT: Living in and making art in NYC have given me so much, way beyond my expectations. When I left Japan, I hoped that I would have a better chance as an artist in America than in Japan. And I was right. I have benefitted and been influenced by the free spirit, individualism, cultural diversity, and most active art scenes that resonate in the city. The number of opportunities are enormous; you never know how and where you will find something meaningful t engage with.

Through all these experiences I have learned much about my own sense of being Japanese, such as a particular work ethic, way of thinking about certain things, shyness, formality, etc. It has been a journey to adapt to a foreign culture and language, but somehow, I feel more myself in America than in Japan. Discovering and progressing as an artist in NYC is parallel to overcoming all of my preexisting beliefs while adapting to new situations, on both personal and professional levels.

PR: I noticed that you have done a number of large-scale curatorial projects, including one for Sculptors Alliance, at Governors Island, in 2017. How does the process of organizing the work of other sculptors compliment your work as an artist? Please tell the readers about some of the pleasures and pitfalls of working with a large group of artists on tight budgets and deadlines.

NT: It was a truly rewarding experience to curate an art show with so many talented artists. After reviewing all the applications, I tailored the curatorial direction to showcase the various possibilities in the use of metal: from traditional cast bronze sculptures to large forged metal forms to found objects to metal pigments to metal wires in installation. I wanted to project how different approaches each artist had with metal as a material, which was nearly equivalent to seeing the relationship between the artist and the material. 

I am currently working with Sculptors Alliance to curate a meaningful exhibition—and what to consider—during this new norm. This exhibition will focus on the aspects of how this pandemic has been influencing artists by showcasing their works from before and after the pandemic. It is scheduled for Fall 2020; the Call for Entries will open mid-August 2020.

NT: I teach metal sculpture at The Art Students League of NY, and because the school facilities are closed, I have been teaching my class online. My students and I struggled at the beginning because the Zoom platform is so different from what we used to do, such as the laborious and physical acts of welding and grinding.

Instead of feeling frustrated, I focus on the importance of continuing the artistic practice in any circumstances with seemingly restrictive conditions. Most of my students are now exploring a variety of approaches such as paintings, mixed-media, digital art, and the like. I think it’s a good time for all artists to explore something new and to inspire each other by expanding our possibilities.

In the meantime, I am investing this quarantine-time to create a new body of work with a new concept, and to gain new computer skills, such as 3D CAD and animation programs because I want to be able to digitally visualize any kind of idea to propose and to exhibit online. This pandemic definitely has caused me to pay more attention to new technologies to consider for my work.

NT: This COVID pandemic situation has definitely taken people away from interactive public art. Since “Window II” has a swing, it was caution-taped for two months following the state’s COVID guideline. That was ironic since it was installed with the intention to bring people into the park.

I think if parks are an oasis for people during the quarantine, then art in the parks also can be. Perhaps an installation might have to have an oasis-like form so people can spread out and be socially distanced. The physical interaction would have to be different…and the biggest challenge is any excitement that brings people into a public space would need to be self-monitoring for the pandemic situation. I am currently working working with Sculptors Alliance concerning how to curate meaningful exhibitions—and what to consider—going forward.

NT: I look forward to installing the project “Confession” in a community garden in Harlem in September. For this project I am recycling the material from “Window.” Since the work needed fixing and was in storage, waiting for decisions to be made, I went to see what could be done. I felt inspired to push the swing further. I am very fortunate that I was granted permission to re-appropriate the work and do with it whatever I wanted, so “Window” was reborn into “Confession”: a reclining chair in which visitors can sit and a secret conversation with themselves in the public space.

In October, “What Is Your Name?” (above) will be showcased in the virtual exhibition, "Mother Tongue/Language", organized by The Immigrant Artist Biennial. On April 2021, I have a solo exhibition at Resobox Gallery in Long Island City, Queens, where I am am going to exhibit a new concept influenced even more by my Japanese background. On October 2021, I will be in a group exhibition of Kameyama Art Triennial in Japan. It was scheduled this year but was postponed due to COVID. I really hope all the exhibitions in 2021 will be realized—both artists and viewers need physical space and interaction in addition to online presentation.