Space – likely the most deceptive of all illusions

The Japanese have a term for it Ma.
Ma (間) is a Japanese word that can be roughly translated as "gap," "space," "pause," or as "the space between two structural parts. There is no equivalent single word term for Ma in the English language.

Architects deal with space: it is their profession to combine nature and man-made structure in a way that is functional, efficient, beautiful and timeless. Hayahiko Takase not only bridges here and there, but he bridges countries, generations, culture and tradition through his architecture and his art. Born in pre-WWII Japan, his first recollections entering the path to becoming an architect was seeing bombers fly over Tokyo during WWII. He loved the shape of planes. His desire to be an aeronautical engineer shifted, and he took the next path, that of architecture. His love of the shape of planes transitioned into a new passion, architecture, which seemed to be the combination of art and engineering. Takase graduated from the prestigious Tokyo University to travel and work in South America and Europe and then to America, eventually getting a graduate degree in architecture from Harvard.

Takase has instinctively used the essence of “Ma” to balance structure and space to create beautiful, functional buildings that combine Eastern and Western traditions, creating environments that flow through time and giving people a place to thrive and be content.

We are happy to present this exhibition of the work of Hayahiko Takase.
We are grateful that he chose to use his talents to create lasting images that define the landscape of Little Tokyo.

The Little Tokyo Historical Society will present an exhibition of Hayahiko Takase, architect of many of the iconic buildings in Little Tokyo from Sept 30 - Oct 10 at the Doizaki Gallery of the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, 244 South San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Admission free.

For more information: http://www.jaccc.org/worldoftakase.php