The exhibition presents a comprehensive portrait of Takaezu’s life and work, reframing her as one of the most compelling and innovative American artists of the last century.   

Born of Okinawan heritage in Pepe‘ekeo on Hawai‘i Island and raised on Maui, Takaezu was deeply inspired by nature, especially the Hawaiian landscape. Most noted for her “closed form” ceramic sculptures, these works often include “rattles,” adding an element of sound when the works are shaken. The exhibition, which features Takaezu’s work in ceramics, painting, textile, and bronze, also includes videos by Native Hawaiian composer and co-curator Leilehua Lanzilotti demonstrate the important, and often hidden, role sound played in Takaezu’s work.  

HoMA’s collection includes 104 works by the artist and more than a dozen of them are featured in Worlds Within. The Museum’s long history with Takaezu began when she took painting classes at what was then the Honolulu Academy of Arts from 1947 to 1949. She had her first solo exhibition at the Museum in 1959 and another in 1973. In 1993, the Museum and The Contemporary Museum joined forces on a retrospective of her work covering 1950 to 1992. The artist visited the Museum throughout her life, the last time in 2010, just a year before her death.  

For more information please visit the Honolulu Museum of Art website.

Tagged 05/06.