INTERNATIONAL TRAILBLAZER
Takaezu became internationally known for radically reimagining the ceramic vessel form as an object for limitless experimentation. She saw her ceramic sculptures as three-dimensional abstract paintings, with clay as her canvas. She was also an influential instructor of ceramics at Princeton University from 1967 to 1992, and at Skidmore's Summer Six studio program for more than 20 years.

Closed Form, 2004, private collection

Her signature “closed form” ceramic sculptures, ranging from palm-sized works to immersive environments that might include stones, textiles or paintings, were completely sealed except for a tiny pinhole at the top and often included small pieces of clay, or “rattles,” adding an element of sound. Videos by Native Hawaiian composer and co-curator Leilehua Lanzilotti demonstrate the important role sound played in Takaezu’s work.

The artist’s connection to nature greatly influenced her work. Among her later innovations were cylindrical vessels that she called “Trees,” inspired by a 1973 visit to Hawai‘i Island’s Devastation Trail, a stark landscape dotted with vestiges of ‘ōhia lehua that is a result of a 1959 volcanic eruption. Several “Trees” will be installed on the museum grounds, inviting audiences to experience her dialogue with nature firsthand.

“Takaezu’s story is deeply connected to the cultures of Hawaiʻi, to nature here, and to this museum,” says HoMA senior curator of modern and contemporary art Tyler Cann, who curated the exhibition at HoMA with associate curator of contemporary art Katherine Love. “This is where she first took art classes and showed her work, so it is amazing to bring her story full circle with this exhibition.”

Toshiko Takaezu at the Honolulu Museum of Art (then Honolulu Academy of Arts) in 1958.

HoMA has a long history with Takaezu, which began in 1947 when she started to take classes at the Museum. HoMA holds 104 works by Takaezu in its collection. 

EXHIBITION
Featuring approximately 125 objects from public and private collections across the country, including 21 works from HoMA’s collection, Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within traces the development of Takaezu’s hybrid practice over seven decades. Visitors will see the evolution of the artist in installations that range from a set table of functional wares from the early 1950s to an immersive constellation of monumental ceramic forms from the late 1990s to the early 2000s.

Sound also plays an important role in this exhibition as many of Takaezu’s closed ceramic forms contain unseen “rattles.” The multisensory experience is amplified by videos and interactive installations developed by composer, sound artist, and exhibition co-curator Leilehua Lanzilotti. Her work includes a concert program, a video installation, and demonstration videos that reveal the hidden element of sound in Takaezu’s works. CDs Lanzilotti’s new concert and installation works were released as an album on Innova Recordings, which are available in the HoMA Shop.

HoMA commissioned Hawai‘i ceramic artist Dane Hi‘ipoi Nakama to create several works inspired by Takaezu’s signature closed forms. Nakama’s pieces will be suspended, allowing visitors to hold and gently shake them to experience the different sounds each one creates. This area of the exhibition illustrates the connection between sight, sound, and movement in Takaezu’s works.

PROGRAMS
The exhibition is accompanied by public programs that illuminate the artist and her work. 

MONOGRAPH
Accompanying the exhibition is a monograph of the same name, published by The Noguchi Museum in association with Yale University Press. This comprehensive exploration of Takaezu is the first to be developed with full access to the artist’s newly digitized papers in the Archives of American Art. The monograph is the most ambitious study of an American ceramic artist to date. 368 pages, 294 color and black-and-white illustrations. Hardcover. $65. Available in the HoMA Shop.

EXHIBITION ORGANIZATION AND FUNDING
“Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within” is organized by The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, with assistance from the Toshiko Takaezu Foundation and the Takaezu family.

The exhibition and its national tour have been made possible through lead support from the Henry Luce Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art. Major support for the HoMA presentation of the exhibition is provided by Sharon Twigg-Smith, in memory of Jay Jensen.

The exhibition is co-curated by Noguchi Museum curator Kate Wiener, independent curator Glenn Adamson, and sound artist and composer Leilehua Lanzilotti. The exhibition was conceived and developed with former Noguchi Museum senior curator Dakin Hart.

The curators for the Honolulu Museum of Art’s presentation are senior curator of modern and contemporary art Tyler Cann with associate curator of contemporary art Katherine Love. 

ABOUT THE NOGUCHI MUSEUM Founded in 1985 by category-defying Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988), The Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum (now known as The Noguchi Museum) in Queens, New York, was the first museum in the United States to be established, designed, and installed by a living artist to show their own work. Itself widely viewed as among the artist’s greatest achievements and holding the world’s largest collection of his works, the Museum features open air and indoor galleries in a repurposed industrial building and a serene outdoor sculpture garden. Since its founding, it has served as an international hub for Noguchi research and appreciation. In addition to managing the artist’s archives and catalogue raisonné, the Museum exhibits a comprehensive selection of Noguchi’s material culture, from sculpture, models, and drawings, to his personal possessions. Provocative installations drawn from the permanent collection, together with diverse special exhibitions and collaborations with practitioners across disciplines, offer a multifaceted view of Noguchi’s art and illuminate his enduring influence. noguchi.org | @noguchimuseum

ABOUT THE TOSHIKO TAKAEZU FOUNDATION The Toshiko Takaezu Foundation was founded in 2015 to preserve and promote the legacy of renowned abstract sculptor Toshiko Takaezu (1922–2011) and to educate the public about her work and teachings. Her art was deeply influenced by nature, her experiences in Hawai‘i and New Jersey, as well as her travels around the world, particularly in Japan and Okinawa. The Foundation facilitates exhibitions, supports research projects, provides access to archives, and ensures public awareness of Takaezu’s artistic contributions. Toshikotakaezufoundation.org

​​The Honolulu Museum of Art is Hawai‘i’s premier art institution, inspiring and uplifting the community through transformative art experiences. Founded in 1927 to reflect Hawai‘i’s multicultural makeup, today HoMA’s extraordinary collection of more than 55,000 works of art from across the globe spans 5,000 years.