Tama Takahashi

I'm a mixed-race Japanese-American. My main goal is to increase the visibility of Asian American artists after growing up in an environment where they were largely ignored. My hope is that young Asian American girls can study art today and see themselves as subjects of and as creators of contemporary art. This artwork, "Weaving A Narrative," expresses my hope and optimism. I used handcrafted Japanese washi paper, 24-karat goldleaf, and watercolor.

I opened my Santa Barbara studio in 2023. The same year, I was awarded an Emerging Artist Fellowship from the California Arts Council and SVCREATES. I've shown internationally at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, winning both a "Gold Award" (the highest honor) and "Award of Excellence"; at the Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum; the "Art Woman 2025" show in Lecce, Italy; and will be in the at the CICA Museum in South Korea. I was recently selected by Asian Art Contemporary for their interview series on international Asian artists.