Artist Journal: Leilehua Lanzilotti
Tusen Takk Spring 2023 composer-in-residence Leilehua Lanzilotti shares more about the work she pursued in residence, a new installation piece co-commissioned by the Noguchi Museum and Sō Percussion, inspired by the work of artist Toshiko Takaezu. Born in Pepeekeo, Hawaiʻi, Takaezu later settled in New Jersey where her former studio now houses hundreds of her sculptures. Her main medium was ceramics.
From the Toshiko Takaezu Foundation website:
"Despite the painted surfaces’ vivid colors and complex compositions, the dark interiors were just as important and intriguing to Takaezu. The enclosed space—as metaphor for the human spirit, or as an evocation of its own micro universe—is unseen yet still has a powerful and mysterious presence. It is literally amplified by the small clay beads that the artist often placed inside the form, which musically rattle when one handles the artwork."
Leilehua Lanzilotti is a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) musician dedicated to the arts of our time. A "leading composer-performer" (The New York Times), Lanzilotti is the recipient of a 2020 Native Launchpad Artist Award, 2021 McKnight Visiting Composer Residency, and was honored as a finalist for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Music for her piece with eyes the color of time. Her “conceptually potent” compositions often deal with unique instrument-objects, such as The Noguchi Museum commissions involving sound sculptures. “Lanzilotti’s score brings us together across the world in remembrance, through the commitment of shared sonic gestures.” (Cities & Health) For a complete bio, please visit: http://leilehualanzilotti.com
