Toshiko Takaezu: Portrait of an Artist

Toshiko Takaezu (1922-2011) lived most of her life in rural New Jersey, where she made pots, gardened, and taught ceramics at nearby Princeton University. But she was born in Hawaii to Japanese parents, and the landscapes and traditions of the world she grew up in had a profound influence on her art. In the early 1990s, producer Susan Wallner spent time talking to Toshiko about her life and work. They travelled to Hawaii to see the “devastation forest” and the sunrise at Haleakala. The film includes some of Toshiko’s last Princeton students, who were invited to do a raku firing at her home studio. “Toshiko Takaezu: Portrait of an Artist” won a CINE Golden Eagle, and the New York Emmy for Outstanding Original Music went to composer John Hodian for its score.