Kazuki Takizawa

Artist Statement

"As a  maker who is filled with a spectrum of ever-changing emotions, most of my work is cathartic self-expression. In expressing my emotions, I seek to connect with others and evoke a sense of familiarity and fellowship.

A significant part of my work is inspired by my experiences with my own mental health as well as stories I've come across with other people's mental health. Through my body of work, I reflect on topics that are still considered taboo in this world today and attempt to voice the often-silenced conversations in my own way.

The harmonization of the radically different, such as violence and meditation, spontaneity and meticulousness, and destruction and repair, is found in the process as well as the result of my work."

As an artist who lives with bipolar disorder, Kazuki Takizawa uses glass as a means to explore his inner reality and destigmatize mental illness. In an aim to give the invisible shape, Takizawa crafts sculptural vessels and installations, each with a unique story. Takizawa was born and raised in Hong Kong and spent most of his childhood within a bubble of the Japanese community. Experiencing the language barrier as a child gave him the urge to express himself and eventually resolved in pursuing the direction of artmaking. He graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a BFA in glass art in 2009. He currently runs his glassblowing studio, KT Glassworks in the historic West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles.