Tomiyama Taeko was born in Kobe and spent her childhood in Dalian and Harbin, cities in the former Japanese-controlled state of Manchukuo. In the 1950s, she created works focusing on mining sites in Japan and explored the themes of labor and industrial development.
In the 1970s, she was deeply inspired by the poetry of South Korean writer Kim Chi-Ha, who was imprisoned by the Korean government for his outspoken literary critiques. This influence led her to create prints reflecting her solidarity with his struggles. In 1977, Tomiyama co-founded Hidane Kobo alongside like-minded artists and musicians, including Takahashi Yuji. The studio became a hub for innovative artistic collaboration, producing ten multimedia slide works that fused images and music to explore a new form of art expression.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Tomiyama expanded her practice to include oil paintings, screen prints, and installations. These works confronted Japan’s wartime responsibilities and explored issues such as democratization, liberation movements in the Third World, capitalist globalization, and the plight of migrant workers.
In the 21st century, Tomiyama continued to address pressing global concerns through her art. She created series responding to the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the persistence of warfare, challenging audiences to confront the failures of modern industrial, technological, and social institutions.
From the 1980s onward, her work was exhibited internationally, with major exhibitions in Korea, Germany, and the United States. Tomiyama Taeko passed away on August 18, 2021, at the age of 99, leaving behind a powerful legacy of art as activism.