The Intersetion of Repetition and Change by Takayoshi Terajima

中文版 - Chinese version      

Artist list

Takayoshi Terajima

Throughout history, jewelry has consistently reflected the living conditions of different eras and social strata, as well as the underlying essence of human nature and social structures. In particular, the act of "wearing" serves as a medium where materiality, the body, memory, perception, and spirituality converge, giving rise to multifaceted dialogues among the artwork, the creator, the wearer, and the viewer.

The traditional Eastern and Western metalworking and jewelry-making techniques he employs are not merely methods of production but also systems of knowledge transmission and repositories of collective memory that traverse time and space. The traces left by manual repetition—those imprints that cannot be captured in digital form—are precisely the core of his creative practice.

Text edited by Liang Xiao


I was born into a family of rice farmers that has been in existence since the Genroku period of the Edo period. As a student, I played volleyball and was selected as a representative player for my prefecture. I wanted to become a professional player, but repeated injuries forced me to change my career path. Under the influence of a teacher, I went on to an art university, where I was introduced to metal engraving techniques and contemporary jewellery. I then studied abroad to deepen my knowledge, and my stay in Germany led to opportunities to show my work in galleries and museums, mainly in Europe, where I have been exhibiting to this day. In 2019, I founded the artist collective ʻCJSTʼ, which aims to develop and promote the culture of jewellery expression.

The above is an excerpt from Takayoshi Terajima's (hereinafter referred to as Taka) resume. It is rare to see an artist include their family background or experiences prior to their artistic education in their personal introduction, describing their past and present in such detail. For Taka, the changing seasons experienced during the rice farming process passed down through his family, along with the sight of rice ears shimmering in the sunlight, form the "primordial landscape" deeply embedded in his memory. Similarly, the metal engraving techniques he employs as a means of expression represent an essential traditional context for him. While materials and techniques evolve with time, he uses his creative approach to integrate AI technology with traditional craftsmanship, visualizing imagery and continuously refining his "methods" to embrace new forms of creation. In his works, each engraved dent is like a grain of "rice," and through this cycle, the traces of personal cultivation gradually settle into the pieces.


Re: Series / LAYER  Series
Since the release of the "Metal Painting" series, as the pandemic gradually subsided, the world began shifting back from "digital space" to the physical realm. This transformation prompted me to reexamine the essence of jewelry as objects worn on the human body. During this period, three key dimensions formed the foundation of the "Stratified Order" and "Re:" series: a 300-year legacy of rice farming, humanity's historical struggle with infectious diseases, and a production methodology oscillating between digital and physical spaces.

In these works, by repurposing completed pieces as raw materials for new creations, manual traces from different times and spaces coalesce on the same plane. The surfaces employ traditional metal engraving techniques to manifest patterns that transmute pastoral landscapes from my homeland into symbols of life cycles and heritage. Thus, my creative practice bridges past and present while connecting digital and physical worlds, allowing each piece to organically interlock with the next.


Portrait Series
This project utilizes AI image generation technology to create self-portraits. By inputting various types of personal information commonly required for residency applications—such as birthplace, eye color, height, and other physical characteristics—the AI generates a new portrait daily. Its distinctive feature lies in the fact that even with identical input data, the system produces drastically different images each time. These ever-changing "likenesses" reveal the ambiguity of self-perception and the fluidity of identity.

Furthermore, I explore the integration of digital technology and traditional craftsmanship through physical processing: employing metal engraving techniques on aluminum plates printed with AI-generated images, chiseling intricate patterns that create metallic properties yielding varying visual effects from different viewing angles.
The core of the work aims to examine how textual information and data shape contemporary identity, and how this identity is perceived by others. Although the AI-generated images diverge significantly from my actual appearance, the repeated submission of personal information during overseas residency has transformed "textual data" into a metric that defines the self. In an era of rapid technological evolution, what transformations are occurring in the value of textual information, images, and data? And how do they influence our self-perception and social identity?


Omamori
The work is titled "Omamori" (御守), the Japanese term for protective amulets believed to ward off misfortune and embody blessings and guardianship. My definition of jewelry is: "a vessel for human desires." This concept stems from my long-standing contemplation on the boundary between jewelry and non-jewelry. If an object has an opening large enough for a finger, does it become a ring? If suspended from the neck, does it transform into a pendant? Does the use of precious metals and gems alone qualify something as jewelry? My conclusion is that the defining factor lies in whether it relates to the human body or attire, and whether it carries the desires, aspirations, and emotions of the wearer.

People often assert that jewelry should embody personal will and desire: some use it to outwardly display social status and power, while others seek to encapsulate profound bonds and emotions shared with others within it. Precisely because of this, jewelry serves as spiritual support, becoming an extension of the wearer's body—compact in form yet boundless in meaning.

Jewelry is not typical artwork that maintains distance (physical or psychological) from the viewer. The viewer can project their own wishes into the jewelry, allowing this otherwise empty object to form an intimate relationship with the wearer. The wearer can join me in the creative process of "completing it." I believe that only through the wearer's involvement does a piece of jewelry truly become whole.




Takayoshi Terajima

1986　Born in Chiba/ JP
2018-　Lives and works in Munich and China
2019-　Organizes the artist group "CJST"

Education
2018　Diploma in Jewellery, “Meister Schüler”, Academy of Fine Arts Munich/ DE
2015-2018　Studied under Prof. Karen Pontoppidan, Academy of Fine Arts Munich/ DE
2011-2015　M.F.A. in Metal Carving, Tokyo University of the Arts/ JP
2012-2014　Studied under Prof. Otto Künzli, Academy of Fine Arts Munich/ DE
2007-2011　B.F.A. in Metal Carving, Department of Crafts, Tokyo University of the Arts/ J

Awards/ Competitions
2024　Förderpreise der Landeshauptstadt München|City of Munich prizes of jewelry "Prize winner" / DE
2024　SCHMUCK 2024 "Herbert Hofmann Award" / DE
2019　Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim “Art Jewellery by Young Talents at the Museum, sponsorship prize” / DE
2018　EUROPEAN PRIZE FOR APPLIED ARTS “Young Talent Prize” / BE
2011　Tokyo University of the Arts “Ataka Award” / JP
2010　Japan Jewellery Art Competition 2010 “2nd Prize” / JP
2009　The 10th Japan Gold and Silver Creation Exhibition “Chairman's Prize” / JP