Toshiko Takaezu
Toshiko Takaezu (b. 1922) is a ceramic artist. Born to Japanese immigrant parents in Hawaii, she lives and works in Quakertown, New Jersey. Her unique ability to "close" her vertical vessels has given her an honored position among potters worldwide. She incorporates hand built techniques in order to transcend the restrictions of the wheel and applies a painter’s glazes for a very dynamic finish. She studied at the University of Hawaii and Cranbrook Academy of Art with Maija Grotell. She furthered her art education by traveling to Japan in 1955 to investigate Buddhism and the techniques of traditional Japanese pottery. She has taught at the Cleveland Institute of Art for 10 years and at Princeton University for 25 years. She now teaches at the University of Washington. Her recent works include sculptures depicting people, both Japanese and American, from post-World War II Japan.  Toshiko Takaezu, Sakura I, 2002 and Sakura II, 2002, Courtesy of the Japanese American National Museum
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