Barbara Takenaga, Forte (2011), Acrylic on linen, 54 x 135 inches. Courtesy of Uncrated Art Foundation, Kansas City, MO. Image: courtesy DC Moore Gallery, New York, © Barbara Takenaga.
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art presents the exhibition Barbara Takenaga: Awestruck, on view October 9, 2026, through April 11, 2027, the first major survey of the artist’s work in nearly a decade. Presenting abstract paintings made over the past 25 years, the exhibition brings together dazzling demonstrations that highlight the many approaches to abstraction that have shaped Takenaga’s career.
Featuring over 45 works from institutional and private collections, this exhibition includes paintings up to her most recent, revealing Takenaga’s continued push to further her approach across increasingly expanding canvases, opening new paths within her ongoing exploration of abstraction. Takenaga reminds us that painting is a practice of both action and chance, so too is looking and perceiving: we make the work through our active gaze.
Takenaga’s mesmerizing and intricate compositions reveal the extent to which abstract painting itself is rooted in a web of visual associations and art historical precedents. This exhibition examines Takenaga’s paintings through four sections that serve as both thematic and chronological organization: an emphasis on process, a masterful confusion of scale, an embrace of illusion, and reverent nods to art history ranging from Japanese prints to the paintings of American artist Lee Bontecou. Together, these strategies work to upend the viewer’s expectations, engaging imagination and stoking curiosity.
The exhibition is curated by Jessica May, Executive Director, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, and Tae Edell, Independent Curator.
Says Takenaga, “My paintings are often seen as abstract, but with implied narratives: natural phenomena, imagined landscapes, microscopic or cosmic views. Cross sections of minerals or aerial maps of land or Big Bang explosions. There is a labor-intensive aspect to the work, with an aim to reconcile random, chance elements with structure and order. I’m enormously pleased to have this rare opportunity to look back at work from the past 25 years.”
Adds May, “We are particularly honored to present Awestruck at this critical moment in our institution’s history as well as this moment in our cultural history. Such a deep survey of Barbara Takenaga’s work furthers this museum’s commitment to sharing the most compelling art of our time. Equally important, Awestruck invites both astonishment and contemplation, asking viewers to look closely and remember how important the experience of wonder can be for all human beings.” Edell Explains, “Spanning 25 years, this exhibition reveals the sense of wonder at the heart of Takenaga’s practice. Her paintings invite us to discover that meaning in abstraction is not fixed, but a reward that unfolds through time and attention.”