Tamiko Kawata was born in Japan in 1936 and grew up in Tokyo during the World War II Era. In the early years of her career, she was largely influenced by Dada and Bauhaus, and then the Gutai Group – a radical, Japanese avant-garde movement. All three of these philosophies were particularly interested in unconventional materials, which had a great impression on Kawata. She received a B.A. in sculpture from Tsukuba University in Japan and then moved to New York in the 1960s.
The physical practice of joining complex yet diminutive elements continues to provide both a meditative and diaristic process for Kawata. Her sculptures and large-scale installations have been exhibited at such institutions as the Museum of Art and Design, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, LongHouse Sculpture Gardens and Reserve, Kentler International Drawing Center, Heckscher Museum of Art, Dorsky Curatorial Projects, and Adelphi University, NY. She has also exhibited abroad at the Kotska Gallery and the MeetFactory in Prague, Czech Republic and the Takno Art Gallery in Tokoyo, Japan.
