Toshko Takaezu was born in Hawaii, in 1922, to Japanese immigrants. The family was of small means and lived in strict accordance with Japanese tradition—sleeping on the floor, eating miso soup and rice for breakfast. After high school, in 1940, Takaezu began working at the Hawaii Potter’s Guild, copying press molds of functional objects like ashtrays. A chance encounter with Carl Massa, a New York sculptor, awakened her curiosity and ambition. She studied, she traveled, she taught, and her ceramic art was pioneering. “Clay is a sentient being,” Takaezu said, “alive, animate, and responsive.” The Noguchi Museum’s touring exhibition celebrates the centennial of her birthday. —Elena Clavarino