Takaezu & Tawney: An Artist is a Poet

Takaezu & Tawney: An Artist is a Poet debuts 12 new acquisitions to the Crystal Bridges collection that tell the story of a remarkable friendship between the two artists. Curated by Windgate Curator of Craft Jen Padgett, the exhibition highlights how these two women shaped craft history in the US by expanding and redefining the possibilities of their preferred mediums: Takaezu in ceramics, Tawney in weaving.

Takaezu and Tawney had a close relationship for decades, from 1957 until Tawney’s death in 2007. From 1977 to 1981, Tawney lived at Takaezu’s Quakertown, New Jersey, home and the two shared studio space. Building upon the themes presented during the museum’s popular 2021 exhibition, Crafting America, the presentation includes seven ceramic sculptures by Takaezu and two major weavings, two drawings and an intimately scaled assemblage sculpture by Tawney. The display showcases the dramatic scale and presence of Tawney’s fiber works and the dynamic glazing and textured surfaces of Takaezu’s varied ceramic forms.