Takayuki Ishii was born in 1963 and moved to the United States in 1982. While studying painting at the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, Ishii began his career in the U.S. as an art dealer. Upon returning to Japan in 1994, Ishii established Taka Ishii Gallery in Otsuka, Tokyo (the gallery is currently located in Roppongi). Over the past quarter century Taka Ishii Gallery has held exhibitions with Japan’s leading photographers including Nobuyoshi Araki, Daido Moriyama, Naoya Hatakeyama; painters such as Tomoo Gokita, Nobuya Hoki, Naoto Kawahara, and Kyoko Murase, and has further introduced the works of up and coming Japanese artists: Ei Arakawa, Yuki Kimura, Yukinori Maeda, and Kei Takemura. In addition to organizing exhibitions in Japan, Ishii quickly expanded his activities to the global art scene. Through regular participation in international art fairs such as Art Basel and Frieze Art Fair, Ishii has contributed to increasing the global recognition of the Japanese artists he represents. At the same time, he serves to actively introduce the currents of contemporary art in Europe and the United States to the Japanese audience through exhibitions with highly acclaimed international artists such as Thomas Demand, Dan Graham, Sterling Ruby, and Cerith Wyn Evans as well as the works of aspiring young artists like Luke Fowler and Mario Garcia Torres. Ishii is also involved in the publication of exhibition catalogs and artist’s books.
In February 2011, Ishii established Taka Ishii Gallery Photography / Film in Roppongi, Tokyo, as a gallery that specializes in photography. The gallery showcases the works of Japan’s prewar and postwar generation of photographers including VIVO members such as Eikoh Hosoe, Shomei Tomatsu, and Ikko Narahara; Minoru Hirata whom documented the activities of avant-garde artists of the 1960s, and works by Kiyoji Otsuji from Jikken Kobo [Experimental Workshop]. Furthermore, the gallery introduces works by young photographers such as Erika Yoshino, Tomoki Imai, Nao Tsuda, and Ayaka Yamamoto. In November 2018, Ishii opened “SHOP Taka Ishii Gallery,” a new concept-based retail shop in Starstreet Precinct, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. SHOP Taka Ishii Gallery aims to create an experimental retail space that transcends the boundary between “gallery” and “shop” by having different artists and designers freely explore the spatial design and exhibit selected works and other products in approximately three months cycles.
In May 2014, Ishii established the Fine-Art Photography Association (FAPA) as a means to further develop the unique and rich context of Japan’s photography community. The Association comprising of supporting galleries, publishers, and booksellers, launched the Hillside Terrace Photo Fair in Daikanyama, Tokyo, in September 2014. In addition to nurturing the growth of Japan’s currently developing photography market, the association continues to plan a variety of measures with the aim to further promote and disseminate practices in Fine-Art photography and film culture.