The Foundation
Exhibition installation of Takaezu’s pieces at the Denver Art Musuem, 2011. Photo : Jim Dion
MISSION
The Mission of the Toshiko Takaezu Foundation is to preserve and promote the artistic legacy of Toshiko Takaezu and to educate the public about her work and teachings.
About Us
The Toshiko Takaezu Foundation was founded in 2015, to preserve and promote the legacy of renowned abstract sculptor Toshiko Takaezu (1922-2011) and to educate the public about her work and teachings. Her art was deeply influenced by nature, her experiences in Hawai’i and New Jersey, as well as her travels around the world, particularly in Japan and Okinawa. The Foundation facilitates upcoming exhibitions, supports research projects, provides access to archives, and ensures public access to Takaezu's artistic contributions.
Press/announcements
Exhibitions: Worlds Within Continues at the Chazen Museum of Art
The landmark retrospective Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within opens at the Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin–Madison on September 8, 2025 and runs through December 23, 2025.
This major exhibition traces Takaezu’s six-decade career across sculpture, ceramics, painting, weaving, and installation, and follows its successful run at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Photograph by Tom Grotta.
Announcement: Worlds Within Monograph Nominated for Major Award
We are excited to share that Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within has been nominated as one of six finalists for Ceramic Book of the Year 2025 by the American Ceramic Circle. The winner will be announced this fall.
This recognition highlights the impact of the monograph and the generosity of those who supported its publication. The comprehensive Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within monograph, published by Yale University Press in association with the Noguchi Museum, is available through the Noguchi Shop.
Richly illustrated with nearly three hundred images, the volume includes essays by Glenn Adamson, Dakin Hart, Kate Wiener, Margo Machida, and others, as well as recollections from Takaezu’s apprentices. It offers the first full retrospective account of her six-decade career across ceramics, painting, weaving, and sculpture.
Upcoming Exhibition: Princeton University Art Museum
The Princeton University Art Museum will celebrate the opening of its new building with Toshiko Takaezu: Dialogues in Clay (October 31, 2025 – July 5, 2026).
This exhibition celebrates Takaezu’s innovative approach to clay and her decades of teaching at Princeton. Her seminal closed forms will be shown alongside works by her mentors and contemporaries, situating her as a central figure in 20th-century art and as a pioneer who elevated ceramics into a powerful form of abstraction and expression.
Exhibitions: Wild Earth: JB Blunk and Toshiko Takaezu at the Columbus Museum of Art and Worlds Within: Toshiko Takaezu at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston
Earlier this year, Worlds Within received widespread acclaim at the MFA Houston. Meanwhile, Wild Earth: JB Blunk and Toshiko Takaezu at the Columbus Museum of Art brought her work into dialogue with that of her peer JB Blunk. Both artists undertook formative journeys to Japan in the mid-1950s, experiences that profoundly shaped their approaches to clay.
For Takaezu, an eight-month trip in 1955–56 deepened her connection to her cultural heritage and brought her into contact with leading figures of both the Mingei movement and the avant-garde Sōdeisha group. While she admired the Mingei potters, she was especially drawn to Sōdeisha’s radical, forward-looking perspective, which shaped her lifelong pursuit of clay as a medium of abstraction and expression, an influence reflected in the resonances explored in Wild Earth.
Photograph courtesy the Columbus Museum of Art. Photo by Luke Stettner.
Internship Spotlight: Dina Fukunaga-Brates
This summer, the Toshiko Takaezu Foundation hosted Dina Fukunaga-Brates as part of our internship partnership with the Studio Institute and Aspen Institute. Dina recently presented her project at the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, representing TTF with distinction.
Her work has supported our digital infrastructure planning, laying the groundwork for new searchable databases on Takaezu’s art and archives, as well as public resources that will expand access to her legacy. We are grateful for Dina’s contributions and proud to support the next generation of arts professionals.
Announcement: Justin D. Brancato as Inaugural Executive Director
December 12, 2024 - We are pleased to announce the appointment of Justin D. Brancato as our inaugural Executive Director. Brancato has served as the Deputy Director and Director of Archives at the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation since 2010, began his tenure with the Toshiko Takaezu Foundation on November 1st. He brings a wealth of experience and a deep passion for the arts.
“Toshiko Takazeu is a master artist, known for her innovative experiments with glazes, textures, and sounds. She is a pillar in the ceramics community and mentored artists who have gone on to achieve significant accolades in the field. Leading the foundation dedicated to celebrating and fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of Toshiko’s work is a tremendous honor. Our goal is to promote her legacy not only among the next generation of ceramists but across all artistic disciplines, extending her influence to those who remain unaware of the rare talent and pure force that is Toshiko Takaezu. Toshiko was a world-class artist and educator, and it is vital that her contributions are recognized and celebrated,” Brancato stated.
“Through his extensive planning proposals, meticulous presentation and thoughtful implementation of protocols and strategies, Justin has shown rare talent and notable ability,” said Jack Cowart, Executive Director of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation. “Justin has much to offer the artist-endowed foundation field as a confident, emerging leader.”
Fundraising Campaign
December 12, 2024 - In celebration of Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within, we are launching a fundraising campaign. Your support will help us preserve and promote Toshiko’s artistic contributions and educate the public about her work and teachings.
With a donation of $100 or more, you will receive a beautiful exhibition poster of Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within. Your generosity will enable us to continue building programs that honor Toshiko Takaezu’s legacy.
Toshiko Takaezu Foundation Awarded Mellon Foundation Grant
December 12, 2024 - We are excited to announce that the Toshiko Takaezu Foundation has been awarded a prestigious Mellon Foundation grant. This grant will provide essential support for our ongoing efforts to ensure that Takaezu’s remarkable legacy continues to inspire future generations.
"There is tremendous momentum surrounding Toshiko Takaezu’s legacy, and this grant serves as a well-deserved recognition of her impact," said Darlene Fukuji.
Exhibition at Cranbrook Art Museum
Takaezu at Cranbrook Academy, Michigan. Unknown photographer / Courtesy Toshiko Takaezu Foundation.
December 12, 2024 - The acclaimed touring retrospective Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within continues its journey at the Cranbrook Art Museum from October 9, 2024, to January 12, 2025. This significant exhibition, featuring over 200 works, highlights Toshiko Takaezu’s enduring legacy.
Worlds Within traces the development of her practice from her early days in Hawai‘i, through her transformative years in the Midwest, to her final home in New Jersey where she taught at Princeton University. Yale University Press has published a monograph to accompany this extensive exhibition.
The Toshiko Takaezu Foundation is a Ruth Foundation for the Arts Grantee
November 18, 2022 - We are honored to be among the Fall 2022 recipients. Thank you, Ruth Foundation for the Arts!
Noguchi Museum Announces Major Touring Retrospective and Monograph on Toshiko Takaezu
June 17, 2022 - On the centennial anniversary of the birth of artist Toshiko Takaezu (1922–2011), The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum announced its forthcoming major touring retrospective and monograph centered on her work and life. Scheduled to begin in 2024, this will be the first nationally touring retrospective of Takaezu’s work in twenty years. To coincide with the exhibition, the Museum will co-publish a new monograph with Yale University Press. Donate to the exhibition here and see the press release here.
Contact Us
TOSHIKO TAKAEZU FOUNDATION
1078 Summit Ave PMB 805
Jersey City, NJ 07307