Toshiko Takaezu, ceramic artist, teacher, degree recipient

Toshiko Takaezu, one of the world's top ceramic artists who was revered for her works of abstract beauty and simplicity, died March 9, 2011, in Honolulu. She was 88.

The Hawaiian native was involved with ceramics for more than 60 years, from her first job in a commercial production pottery studio during World War II. Her life followed her art, shaped by both Western aesthetics and her Japanese heritage and honed by ceramic studies at the Honolulu Academy of Art, the University of Hawaii, and the Cranbrook Academy.

Takaezu founded the ceramics department in 1967 at Princeton University and taught there for 25 years. She joined the faculty of Skidmore's Summer SIX art program in 1970. Said Regis Brodie, professor emeritus of art, longtime director of Summer SIX, and a fellow ceramic artist, "She was the first artist I wanted to invite. Her works have 'aesthetic wearability.' They are beautifully proportioned, graceful, and timeless."

In 1999, Takaezu delivered Skidmore's annual Rosanne Brody Raab Lecture showcasing artists working in clay, fiber, metal, and wood. In 2002, she was honored with a solo exhibition at the College's Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery. 

Click here to read The New York Times obituary.