Kazuki Takizawa is a Japanese glass artist based in Los Angeles, California. He graduated with high honors from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a BFA in glass art in 2010.

As an artist who lives with bipolar disorder, Kazuki Takizawa uses glass as a means to explore his inner reality and destigmatize mental illness. In an aim to give the invisible shape, Takizawa creates elaborate vessels and installations, each with a unique story. Universally rooted in a dialogue around mental health, his series examine broad themes such as attaining minimalism among chaos as well as personal narratives around family, and his individual challenges. Takizawa has travelled to numerous communities in and outside the US to share his work and act as an advocate for mental illness. His practice offers an uncommon and inclusive space to increase awareness and start a conversation. 

Growing up in Thailand and Hong Kong, Takizawa said he often felt like he had trouble communicating due to language barriers. Art — especially glass — helped him better illustrate emotions he was not able to communicate in words. ‘With art, you don’t need language to express yourself. Art can protect us.’