Toshiko Takaezu

American, 1922–2011

Toshiko Takaezu was an American ceramicist known for her subtly colored glazed vessels. In one of her more famous series, Moonpots, the pots were not functional, with their tops purposefully sealed off. Her studies in Zen Buddhism and traditional Japanese pottery, led her to approach ceramics using intuition and simple gestures. “In my life I see no difference between making pots, cooking, and growing vegetables. They are all so related,” she said. “It is so gratifying and I get so much joy from it, and it gives me many answers in my life.” Born on June 17, 1922 in Pepeekeo, HI, she was the daughter of Japanese immigrants. Toshiko went on to receive her formal training from the University of Hawaii and the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, where she later taught. The artist died on March 9, 2011 in Honolulu, HI. Today, her works are in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., the Milwaukee Art Museum, and the Honolulu Museum of Art.

Courtesy artnet