This biography, reconstructed through writings, memories, and photographs, traces the main stages of Akihiko Takeda's life and artistic production.

Akihiko Takeda (September 5, 1930 - December 27, 2012) was born in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, where he spent his early childhood with his grandmother, immersed in the spirituality of temples and shrines, while his parents lived in Nagoya.

In 1937, at the age of seven, he returned to Nagoya where he remained until 1948 before moving to Tokyo to attend the Tokyo University of the Arts GEIDAI, the most prestigious art university in the capital. He studied woodworking, glasswork, metalwork, textiles, oil painting, sculpture, and ceramics.

After completing his studies at the age of twenty-one, the automotive company Toyota recognized his artistic abilities and hired him as an advertising designer at their Nagoya headquarters. Concurrently, he taught painting at the YMCA school where he met his future wife, Sachiko Takahara.

Starting in 1953, he participated in various photographic and "Precious Artworks Laminate" competitions, winning first prize. Takeda adopted the ancient technique of cloisonné enameling, which dates back 3000 years. A perfect enamel is born from balance and experience.

In the 1960s, Takeda created his first pieces of art jewelry and entered the Japanese market for the first time. He conceived, designed, and crafted his artworks using not only metal and colored glass inserts through cloisonné enameling, but also finishes in Japanese silk and cotton used for traditional kimonos.

In the latter half of the 1960s, he founded Takeda Design Jimusho (武田デザイン事務所) in Nagoya. Traveling between Japan and the United States, he collaborated as a Design Consultant for Anthony Enterprises Ltd. based in Seattle, expanding into the American market with his art jewelry.

In 1976, the premature loss of his wife and later the distance from his daughter who moved to Italy, led him to merge completely with his artworks, giving maximum expression to his creativity. From that moment, art became an essential necessity to fill the immense void.

In the early 1980s, at the age of fifty, Nagoya University of The Arts invited him to conduct a course on metalworking techniques. He continued his research, creating artworks from thin sheets of silver and copper, as well as additional series of masks and art jewelry.

In March 1984, he exhibited silver and copper artworks at the Hakkakudou Gallery in Nagoya alongside Japan's top ten metal artisans. Subsequently, he showcased a series of laminated silver and copper artworks at Akane Gallery, representing him until the 1990s.

During this period, both Shiseido in Japan and Tiffany & Co. in the United States showed interest in his production of masks and jewelry inspired by Japan.

In 1990, he ventured into plaster sculpture with a unique technique, a synthesis of his studies and experience. His forms, reminiscent of Matisse and Picasso, declared a strong interest in Western art while preserving his roots and traditions.

Between 1990 and 1993, he traveled to Italy several times. As a guest of his daughter in Mantua, he created plaster artworks and explored marble as a base for his sculptures, as well as bronze craftsmanship in various foundries in the region.

Upon returning to Japan, he explored new techniques and materials, favoring clay over plaster, creating artworks in terracotta and ceramics. His accumulated knowledge and experience led to a full understanding of material processing. Through the combination of multiple materials, he created multimaterial artworks.

In 1998, Takeda experimented with the technique of incised ceramics, producing a wide collection of artworks representing various subjects. His artistic journey culminated in 2012 with origami, a return not only to his roots but also to Shinto religion.