The Secret Worlds of Toshiko Takaezu

Deep within the wild and intricately glazed patterns of Toshiko Takaezu’s ceramic sculptures, a spirit is alive. At the Noguchi Museum in Queens, the Japanese term for dreams is manifested in a piece of stoneware entitled Yu-Mé, 1971. Reminiscent of the bulbous head of a dreamer, or perhaps the semblance of a thought half-formed, golden strokes shoot upwards and circle the vessel like rays of sun.

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The late American abstract artist is acclaimed for her “closed form” works—like Yu-Mé—that elevated the functional clay vessel to the status of fine art. Takaezu believed that true art should extend beyond the limits of sight. She urged viewers of her pieces to reckon with the hidden, or unseen, elements of her sculptures. Now Takaezu’s artistic legacy and life are being celebrated in a major, traveling retrospective that first debuts at the Noguchi Museum this month. The expansive exhibition features approximately 200 of the late ceramist and painter’s pieces, drawn from public and private collections across the country, along with a new monograph on Takaezu.

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The posthumous exhibition, “Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within,” follows seven decades of the artist’s practice: from her early studies in Hawaii and Michigan to her eventual teaching career at the Cleveland Institute of Art and New Jersey’s Princeton University. Widely recognized as one of the twentieth century’s greatest abstract artists, she initially discovered her passion for art in her hometown of Pepeekeo, Hawaii, where she was raised alongside a dozen siblings by traditional parents who emigrated from the southern Japanese island of Okinawa. Her formal introduction to ceramics emerged from her time spent working at a ceramic studio in Honolulu shortly after dropping out of high school. It was there that she honed her penchant, and talent, for the medium. Takaezu enrolled in an art school in Michigan soon after. 

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Co-curated by art historian and author Glenn Adamson, Noguchi Museum curator Kate Wiener, as well as composer and sound artist Leilehua Lanzilotti, “Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within” showcases some of Takaezu’s iconic pieces including her “closed form” sculptures (some vibrating with a rattling sound), a 14-piece installation titled Star Series, 1999-2000, that Takaezu viewed as her magnum opus, along with an array of rarely-seen acrylic paintings and weavings, and multimedia installations. The secret, sonic landscape of Toshiko Takaezu’s oeuvre is underscored by a concert program, a stand-alone video installation, and a series of videos developed by Lanzilotti. Gathered together in this monumental exhibition, Takaezu’s pieces beckon visitors to dive head-first into the hidden depths of her artistry and spirit.

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“Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within” is on view until July 28, 2024 at The Noguchi Museum at 9-01 33rd Rd, Queens, NY 11106, before touring the nation.