He has worked on various identity systems for clients such as Meiji Milk Products Co. Ltd, Suntory Holdings Ltd, Tama Art University and Mitsui Bank Ltd. Takenobu began creating alphabet sculptures in 1980s and also worked in product design.
He has created a series of graphic and product design solutions for the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and is particularly renowned for the calendar with three-dimensional numerals, which ran for eight consecutive years.
He supported Japanese regional industries by creating products that use traditional craftsmanship in the YMD product line.
Since 1994, Takenobu has worked as a sculptor in Los Angeles, experimenting with terracotta and wood.
He returned to Japan in 2004, and has created various sculptures for public spaces around Japan.
His work is in the permanent collection of over 30 museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
He has taught at Chiba University and at the UCLA, and helped to found the Faculty of Design at Tama Art University, the first computerised design education in Japan and served as the first Head of the Design Department.
For Takenobu’s contribution to design, he has received the Commendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Katsumi Masaru Award, the Mainichi Design Award, the IF Design Award and the Good Design Award.
A member of Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) since 1980, Takenobu has also served two terms in the board of directors.
