Toshiko Takaezu was an American ceramic artist and painter. She was born to Japanese immigrant parents in Pepeekeo, Hawaii, in 1922. She studied at the Honolulu Museum of Art and the University of Hawaii under Claude Horan from 1948–51.
From 1951–54, Takaezu continued her studies at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where she befriended Finnish ceramist Maija Grotell, who became her mentor. In 1955, Takaezu traveled to Japan, where she studied Buddhism, visited Shoji Hamada and observed the techniques of traditional Japanese pottery, which continued to influence her work. She taught for 10 years at the Cleveland Institute of Art, and then from 1967–92, she taught at Princeton University, where she was awarded an honorary doctorate.
Takaezu retired in 1992 to become a studio artist, living and working in Quakertown, New Jersey, about 30 miles northwest of Princeton. In addition to her studio in New Jersey, Takaezu made many of her larger sculptures at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. She made functional wheel-thrown vessels early in her career. Later, she switched to abstract sculptures with freely applied poured and painted glazes.
In the early 1970s, when Takaezu didn’t have access to a kiln, she painted on canvas. Her work is part of the permanent collections at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, among many others.
Takaezu was the recipient of the Gold Medal of the American Craft Council and a Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation grant. She lived in Hawaii for 10 years and died March 9, 2011, in Honolulu.
Find Toshiko Takaezu art for sale on 1stDibs.
(Biography provided by The Nevica Project LLC)
Ceramic Closed-Form Moon Pot by Toshiko Takaezu
By Toshiko Takaezu
Located in Atlanta, GA
A ceramic closed-form pot by Japanese American artist Toshiko Takaezu (American, 1922 - 2011), circa 1980-1990s. The moon pot takes a near perfect rounded form. It has small sprout w...
Ceramic
Ceramic Moon Pot with Salt Firing and Rattle by Toshiko Takaezu
By Toshiko Takaezu
Located in Atlanta, GA
A ceramic closed-form pot with rattle by Japanese American artist Toshiko Takaezu (American, 1922 - 2011) circa 1980s. The wheel-thrown closed-form pot features a a nearly perfect sp...
Ceramic
Large Ceramic Glazed Vase in Cachepot Form by Toshiko Takaezu
By Toshiko Takaezu
Located in Atlanta, GA
A large glazed ceramic vase circa 1978 made by Japanese American artist Toshiko Takaezu (American, 1922 - 2011). Toshiko's work was heavily influenced by the Japanese ceramic traditi...
Ceramic
$32,000
H 10.85 in Dm 9 in
Important Storied Tall Ceramic Pot with Rattle and Handprints by Toshiko Takaezu
By Toshiko Takaezu
Located in Atlanta, GA
An important ceramic closed-form pot with rattle by Japanese American artist Toshiko Takaezu (American, 1922 - 2011). The story: In the 1980s, potter Lola Rae invited Toshika to her ceramic studio and kiln in Ojai, CA to teach a class. Lola Rae had previously worked as a studio assistant for artist Beatrice Wood for eight years. This pot was one of the pieces Toshiko made on site during the class and workshop. Together with the other pot on offer, they stayed in Lola Rae's personal collection until now offer by us Tishu Gallery...
Ceramic
$26,000
H 9.8 in Dm 7.25 in
Important Storied Tall Ceramic Pot with Rattle and Fingerprints Toshiko Takaezu
By Toshiko Takaezu
Located in Atlanta, GA
A fantastic ceramic closed-form pot with rattle by Japanese American artist Toshiko Takaezu (American, 1922 - 2011). The story: In the 1980s, potter Lola Rae invited Toshika to her ceramic studio and kiln in Ojai, CA to teach a class. Lola Rae had previously worked as a studio assistant for artist Beatrice Wood for eight years. This pot was one of the pieces Toshiko made on site during the class and workshop. Together with the other pot on offer, they stayed in Lola Rae's personal collection until now offered by us Tishu Gallery...
Ceramic
Ceramic Closed-Form Moon Pot by Toshiko Takaezu
By Toshiko Takaezu
Located in Atlanta, GA
A ceramic closed-form pot by Japanese American artist Toshiko Takaezu (American, 1922 - 2011), circa 1980-1990s. The small moon pot takes a near perfect rounded form. It has small sp...
Ceramic
Large Unusual Ceramic Pot with Rattle and Handprint by Toshiko Takaezu
By Toshiko Takaezu
Located in Atlanta, GA
A tall closed-form ceramic pot with rattle by Japanese American artist Toshiko Takaezu (American, 1922 - 2011) circa 1980-90s. The impressive stone vessel on offer is covered in a ba...
Ceramic
Rare Closed Form by Toshiko Takaezu
By Toshiko Takaezu
Located in Morton Grove, IL
A VERY EARLY UNTITLED YELLOW CLOSED FORM (INV# NP5476)! Toshiko Takaezu porcelain and glaze 5.5 × 6 × 6” 1968 signed Toshiko Takaezu (June 17, 1922 – March 9, 2011) was an American...
Stoneware, Glaze
Toshiko Takaezu Bottle Form Pot
By Toshiko Takaezu
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Beautiful ceramic vessel by Toshiko Takaezu. this is an early bottle form, the glazing is consistent with this time period and the signature is also cor...
Ceramic
Glazed Ceramic Bowl Chawan Toshiko Takaezu
By Toshiko Takaezu
Located in Atlanta, GA
A ceramic bowl by Japanese American artist Toshiko Takaezu (American, 1922 - 2011). The deep form bowl is of the typical form of Chawan and features a wheel-turned body supported by ...
Ceramic
Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Studio Pottery Closed Form With Rattle Sculpture
By Toshiko Takaezu
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful and quite engaging sumptuously glazed closed-form sculpture with rattle by renowned Japanese Hawaiian American pottery master Toshiko Takaezu, famed for her use of color,...
Porcelain, Pottery
Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Studio Pottery Closed Form With Rattle Sculpture
By Toshiko Takaezu
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful and quite engaging wonderfully glazed closed-form sculpture with rattle by renowned Japanese Hawaiian American pottery master Toshiko Takaezu, famed for her use of color,...
Porcelain, Pottery
Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Studio Pottery Closed Form With Rattle Sculpture
By Toshiko Takaezu
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful and quite engaging wonderfully glazed closed-form sculpture with rattle by renowned Japanese Hawaiian American pottery master Toshiko Takaezu, famed for her use of color, texture, scale, multiple glazes, and various free-form shapes, including her orb-like moon pots. This high-fired porcelain piece features a vast array of shifting, vibrant, and colorful glazes (with earth tones of greens, burnt yellows, browns, etc... ). The sculpture/vessel radiates in the light. It is a unique and one-of-a-kind work. The closed-form vessel sculpture is signed on the base with her traditional "TT" mark/ monogram. A rare and special piece. Would be a great addition to any collectors of Toshiko's work or other Mid-Century Modern...
Porcelain, Pottery
Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Studio Pottery Closed Form With Rattle Sculpture
By Toshiko Takaezu
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful and quite engaging colorfully glazed closed-form sculpture with rattle by renowned Japanese Hawaiian American pottery master Toshiko Takaezu, famed for her use of color, texture, scale, multiple glazes, and various free-form shapes, including her orb-like moon pots. This high-fired porcelain piece features a vast array of shifting, whirling, vibrant, colorful glazes (with traces of reds, pinks, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, etc... ). It is a unique and one-of-a-kind work. The closed-form vessel sculpture is signed on the base with her traditional "TT" mark/ monogram. A rare and special piece. Would be a great addition to any collectors of Toshiko's work or other Mid-Century Modern...
Porcelain, Pottery
Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Hawaiian Studio Pottery Modernist Abstract Vase
By Toshiko Takaezu
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful, relatively large free form modernist abstract vase with indentations by famed Japanese Hawaiian American pottery master Toshiko Takaezu. The high-fired vase features a s...
Porcelain, Pottery
Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Mid-Century Modern Japanese Hawaiian Studio Pottery Bowl
By Toshiko Takaezu
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful, sumptuously glazed bowl by famed Japanese Hawaiian American pottery master Toshiko Takaezu. The high-fired porcelain bowl features a shifting earth toned drip glaze with...
Porcelain, Pottery
