Seventy years after teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the abstract art of Toshiko Takaezu returns this fall through her posthumous retrospective exhibition: “Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within.”
Born in a small Hawaiian town to Japanese émigré parents, Toshiko Takaezu (1922-2011) was an innovative ceramic abstractionist and master of technique across multiple mediums. Renowned for her signature closed forms — bound ceramic sculptures that enclose “hidden worlds within” — the artist utilized these 3D forms as a canvas for expression.
Takaezu was also a student and educator, spending 25 years in academia. She taught arts at several institutions throughout her life, including a brief stint from 1954-1955 at UW-Madison.
“It's exciting that many of the venues on the tour are places that connect directly with Takaezu’s personal history, including UW-Madison where she taught early in her career," said Kate Wiener, Curator at The Noguchi Museum and co-curator of the exhibition. “We learned from Takaezu every step of the way, and many of the installations in the show are directly inspired by historical arrangements,” she said.
The first ever retrospective dedicated to Takaezu shows her art spanning over six decades, transitioning from her first work as a student in Hawaii to the later masterpieces she created while teaching at Princeton.
The exhibition contains a sizable collection of the artist's ceramics, including the powerful installation of massive closed forms titled “Star Series.” Aside from ceramics, the collection is also host to a number of other works across several mediums. This includes her expressive acrylic paintings and woven textiles, which are undoubtedly influenced by the artist's roots in Hawaii.
Supplementing the artwork on display, Pulitzer Prize finalist in music Leilehua Lanzilotti produced a video installation that illuminates the key role sound plays in Takaezu’s art. Thanks to the talent of co-curators Kate Wiener and Glenn Adamson, “Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within” successfully paints a comprehensive and magnificent tableau of the artist's life.
“When I first saw them installed this way at the Noguchi Museum, I was struck by the sheer physicality of the experience.” Chazen Museum of Art’s Chief Curator Katherine Alcauskas said. “There’s a dynamic energy in moving among them, feeling their presence surround you. We’re proud to be the only other venue on the tour offering this immersive installation — it’s a rare and special opportunity,” she said.
Takaezu’s exhibition will be on display at the Chazen Museum of Art until Dec. 23. On Oct. 8, there will be a lecture by Adamson at 5 p.m., followed by a public reception held in the Mead Witter Lobby at 6 p.m.
