Taiji Terasaki
Artist based in Hawaii, alumni of Artist-at Sea programme
Taiji Terasaki is a Japanese-American artist based in Honolulu, Hawaii. Growing up in a family of scientists and creatives, with a formal arts education, Terasaki has spent years exploring avant-garde innovations in his craft, working in photography, sculpture, immersive and large-scale installations, and pioneering mediums like mist projections as canvas. His cutting-edge presentations are often juxtaposed with the subjects of cultural and environmental conservation, preservation, and restoration. Terasaki made his public debut in 2017 with REBIRTH at Honolulu’s Ward Center, and Edible Landscapes for the Trillenium in conjunction with “Contact 3017: Hawaiʻi in 1,000 Years” at Honolulu Museum of Art. That same year, his first solo exhibition, Feeding the Immortals, premiered at the Ravizza Brownfield Gallery. Stemming from Terasaki’s search for ritual and meaning in death following the passing of his father, the exhibit was comprised of mixed media works with ceramic, photography, vapor projections, video, and ceremonial performance—all honoring and paying tribute to those beloved who have passed on. Since then, Terasaki has invested his considerable energy into large-scale and civic art projects. He had shown in Hawaiʻi, throughout the continental US, and internationally–most notably at the Curitiba Biennial in 2017 for his work, Between Two Cultures. In 2019, Terasaki’s work TRANSCENDIENTS: Immigrant Stories of Place, poetically held space for the immigrant populations that comprise America, celebrating their contributions through technology-based storytelling, contemporary portraiture, and immersive experiences. In 2022, Terasaki presented The Water Understands Civilization Well and Tipping Point, ongoing multi-media projects made in collaboration with the Schmidt Ocean Institute. The Water Understands Civilization Well was launched in collaboration with Parley for the Oceans exploring our relationship with water and conservation efforts. Inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poem Water and images provided by the Schmidt Ocean Institute, the installation addressed concerns such as rising carbon emissions and microplastic pollution, which threaten coral reefs and aquatic ecosystems. Since then, The Water Understands Civilization Well has taken part in AltaSea: Blue Hour in October 2023 and a future interaction in 2024. Tipping Point was made in response to the deep-sea mining bill that was discussed at the 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference–the results of which will have far-reaching implications for delicate marine ecosystems. The project explores the deep-sea as a treasure trove of mystery and endless potential for discovery, while recognizing that without proper regulations in place, deep-sea mining has the potential to eradicate ocean species before they’ve been discovered or fully studied. In 2023, Terasaki presented On Rewilding, Palmyra Atoll, is a reflection of his 2018 residency at the conservancy, showcasing the vitality of Palmyra’s restored ecosystem and highlighting nature’s resilience through established and creative technologies, providing insights into the potential of intentional human efforts at conservation, giving us hope for the future. Expanding on his work with the Schmidt Ocean Institute, Terasaki most recently presented Deepest Reveries at the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona, Spain. Deepest Reveries is a large-scale, immersive installation that uses A/R technology to feature the dreamy beauty of life in the deep sea and the ocean’s critical role in planetary health. The work continues Terasaki’s explorations of themes like rewilding, environmental fragility and climate change. Driven to advance Honolulu’s arts community, Terasaki served on the board of directors for the Honolulu Museum of Art for many years and currently serves on the board of directors for the Honolulu Biennial Foundation. He is Board President of the Taiji and Naoko Terasaki Family Foundation, as a board member for the LA-based Terasaki Family Foundation, and as Board President of Art Explorium, a beloved nonprofit arts foundation for children that he co-founded with his wife Naoko and family friends Nate and Heather Smith. Terasaki most recently founded Make Visible, a 501c3 non-profit whose mission is to create and sponsor innovative platforms for artists to further their practice and gain greater visibility. Terasaki studied in the MFA programs at both Hunter College in New York and Cal State Long Beach, and holds a BFA from UC Irvine. He currently resides in Honolulu with his wife and two children.
