Norman Takeuchi, C.M. was born in Vancouver in 1937. The forced internment and subsequent displacement of his family, along with thousands of Japanese Canadians, during World War II has had a lasting impact on his life and art.
Takeuchi studied at the Vancouver School of Art (now Emily Carr University of Art + Design), where he focused on painting and graphic design. After graduation, he spent a formative year in London, England, holding his first solo exhibition. Upon returning to Canada in the 1960s, he worked as a designer with the federal government, contributing to major projects like Expo 67 in Montreal and Expo 70 in Osaka. He later joined the Canadian Museum of Nature as a senior designer while continuing to paint. He exhibited in a group show at the National Gallery of Canada in 1965. In 1996, he left design to pursue art full-time.
Takeuchi’s work has been widely exhibited and is held in public collections, including the TD Bank Collection, Canada Council Art Bank, the Canadian War Museum, Royal Ontario Museum, and the Ottawa Art Gallery. In 2023, the Ottawa Art Gallery hosted a career-spanning retrospective, Shapes in Between: Norman Takeuchi – A Retrospective, highlighting over six decades of his artistic evolution. In 2023, Takeuchi was appointed to the Order of Canada for his contributions to the arts and for his role in preserving and sharing Japanese Canadian history through visual storytelling. He is currently based in Ottawa.
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Veteran, 202248 x 79 in.Norman TakeuchiAcrylic on canvas, diptych -
Immigrant, 202148 x 79 in.Norman TakeuchiAcrylic on canvas, diptych
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Lumber Camp, 202042 1/8 x 33 1/8 in.Norman TakeuchiAcrylic on canvas
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Kikkoman, 201640 x 32 in.Norman TakeuchiAcrylic on canvas
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Diving Crane, 201230 x 40 in.Norman TakeuchiAcrylic on canvas
