presents a never-before-seen perspective and worldview by combining elements of traditional Japanese culture with values of the contemporary world. His carefully honed artistry is elegantly expressed throughout his various mediums. Nurturing the sensitivities of a rich history, mythology, and innovation, Tatehana’s work brims with his potential and hopes for the future. The artist is renowned for his trademark works titled “Heel-less Shoes,” which are inspired by the elevated wooden clogs worn by traditional Japanese courtesans. These works have attracted global recognition since being worn by celebrities including Lady Gaga. To date, Tatehana’s work has been collected by institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
Noritaka Tatehana was born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1985. His family ran a public bathhouse called “Kabuki-yu” in Kabuki-cho, Tokyo, while he grew up in Kamakura. As a small child and under the guidance of his mother, a doll artist who practices the Waldorf education method, the artist learned to create with his own hands. Tatehana graduated in 2010 from the Department of Crafts at Tokyo University of the Arts, specializing in textile arts. While researching the culture associated with traditional Japanese courtesans, the artist created geta (traditional wooden clogs) and kimonos with yūzen, a traditional Japanese dyeing technique. He has presented in solo exhibitions including “NORITAKA TATEHANA: Aesthetics of Magic” (Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum, Tokyo, 2016), “NORITAKA TATEHANA: Refashioning Beauty” (Portland Japanese Garden, 2019), “It’s always the others who die” (POLA Museum Annex, Tokyo, 2019), and “Distance” (Hagi Uragami Museum, Yamaguchi, 2023), and notable group exhibitions include “Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion” (The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, 2012), “Image Makers” (21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, Tokyo, 2014), “Contemporary Japanese Crafts” (touring exhibition in Tokyo, Miyazaki, Kyoto, and Nagoya, 2020–22), “MODE SURREAL: A Crazy Love for Wearing” (Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, 2022) and “GO FOR KOGEI 2024 Craft and Art: Philosophies for Life” (Iwase area, Toyama, 2024). Tatehana has also worked on a wide range of projects, including producing a bunraku performance in 2016 at the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Arts in Paris. His works have been acquired by internationally acclaimed institutions such as the National Crafts Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
