Takaezu

A Visionary Journey Through Ceramic Landscapes

Born of Okinawan heritage in Hawaii, Toshiko Takaezu (1922–2011) emerged as a trailblazing figure in 20th-century American art.

Renowned for her innovative “closed form” ceramic sculptures, her work ranged from delicate, palm-sized creations to grand, immersive installations. Drawing inspiration from her bicultural identity and a profound connection to nature, Takaezu transformed the traditional vessel into a boundless canvas for artistic exploration, blending elements of abstract painting and sculpture to create works of transcendent beauty.

Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within invites audiences to embark on a journey through the evolution of this extraordinary artist’s practice. Through approximately 100 objects sourced from public and private collections nationwide, this retrospective illuminates the key moments in Takaezu’s career. From her early experiments in Hawaii to her studies at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, and her transformative travels to Japan in the 1950s, the exhibition traces her pioneering exploration of form, function, and sound. It also highlights her impactful years as a teacher at the Cleveland Institute of Art and Princeton University.

The exhibition offers a rare glimpse into Takaezu’s artistic process with carefully curated installations inspired by those she designed during her lifetime. These include a selection of functional ceramics from the 1950s and an impressive display of monumental forms from her later years. Visitors will also encounter vibrant paintings and exquisite weavings, many of which have seldom been exhibited.

“We are honored to partner with the Noguchi Museum in bringing Toshiko Takaezu’s pathbreaking work to Houston,” said Gary Tinterow, director and Margaret Alkek Williams chair of the MFAH. “As a pioneering figure and revered teacher, her single-minded investigation of form, function, and sound continues to resonate today.”

“As the first nationally touring retrospective of the artist’s work in 20 years, Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within connects to the Museum’s strength in American studio ceramics and abstract art,” commented Elizabeth Essner, Windgate Foundation associate curator of craft at the MFAH. “Takaezu’s vital role within the landscape of 20th-century American art comes alive in this important reappraisal of her multifaceted artistic practice.”

The exhibition highlights a vast range of ceramic sculptures, including selections from Takaezu’s late masterpiece, the Star Series. Created between 1994 and 2001, these human-scale closed forms were each named for a celestial body. The

MFAH Zeus (c. 1995) stands at a soaring five and a half feet tall, as its stoic gestures of black and mahogany glaze reach nearly its full height. Between 1979 and 1980, Takaezu often exhibited her ceramics and weavings alongside the work of her dear friend, the revolutionary fiber artist Lenore Tawney (1907-2007). In an installation recreated from one of their two-person exhibitions, Tawney’s ethereal yet commanding textile Heart floats above a black sand landscape of Takaezu’s Moons —including the MFAH Purple Moon (c. 1998), an abstract kaleidoscope of color.

The multisensory dimension of Takaezu’s artistry is brought to life through her “rattle” ceramics—closed forms containing subtle, resonant sounds. To enhance this auditory experience, the exhibition features demonstration videos by composer and co-curator Leilehua Lanzilotti. Lanzilotti’s immersive video installation, the sky in our hands, our hands in the sky (2023), enriches the exhibition further, merging the sounds of Takaezu’s ceramics with breathtaking footage of Hawaii’s volcanic landscapes, including Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.

Layers of sound, texture, and light converge in this dynamic retrospective, offering visitors a profound connection to the “worlds within” Takaezu’s art.

Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within will be on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, from March 2 through May 18, 2025.