While Motohide Takami was a graduate student of Tohoku University of Art in Yamagata, the Great Earthquake of 2011 occurred. The disaster and its aftermath had a dramatic impact on the subject matter of his oil paintings. One of his signature images, of flames by the riverside, refers to the Japanese expression, "fire on the other side of the river," meaning somebody else's business. It is Takami's ironic examination of human disinterest in tragic events which do not directly impact them. Takami’s paintings have been shown in Japan and in the US, including a solo exhibition in 2019 at SEIZAN Gallery New York.