Takeshi was born in 1952 in Osaka, Japan. Deeply influenced by classic art cinema—particularly The Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray—he moved to the Bay Area in 1972 to pursue his artistic education. He earned both his BFA and MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute.

Influenced by artists such as Henri Matisse, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Édouard Manet, and Richard Diebenkorn, Takeshi has spent decades refining a personal approach to color, form, and composition. His early career focused on abstraction, evolving from bold geometric structures to more organic forms inspired by nature and the sun-washed textures of aged architecture in Brazil and Mexico.

In recent years, Nakayoshi has expanded his practice to incorporate figurative elements, blending abstraction with the emotional resonance of the human face and body. This synthesis allows him to explore psychological depth while maintaining a strong formal presence.

Nakayoshi immigrated to the United States in 1983. He lives and works in San Francisco with his wife and is the father of two daughters.