Norio Takamiya, born in Chiba, Japan in 1951 trained as a woodblock Printer. In 1975 he was awarded a BA from the National Chiba University, then in 1978 an MA Fine Arts from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Japan. In 1989 he moved to Australia and in 1991 completed a MA in Creative Arts, University of Wollongong and in 1996, a Doctorate of Creative Arts from the University of Wollongong, Australia.
The issues that affected his early works created in Australia concerned personal cultural identity and his initial struggle to identify himself in a 'Western' society where the boundaries between 'Western' and 'Eastern' cultures were undefined and after many years of pondering this question Takamiya has concluded;
"I will no longer force myself to do anything as a Japanese or an Asian or an Australian or for that matter, any collective identity. The most important thing is not to avert our eyes from ourselves in the mirror, because we cannot know the Other correctly without knowing ourselves. There is no exception in this matter even if I am an artist. All works of art are nothing but self-portraits after all...As an art form, I use this traditional Japanese woodblock printing technique as a post-modern way. The subject of these works is “cultural juxtaposition”, which is based on my belief that all cultures are equal . I am enjoying this effect of juxtaposition. In the same way, I ask myself How I juxtapose myself in this Australia?"
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