Sunday Series: Artist Talk with Michele Oka Doner

About this event

Michele Oka Doner (United States, born 1945), Untitled (detail), 2025, Giclée (archival pigment print), Taubman Museum of Art, Gift of the Artist in Honor of the Marriage of Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo and Monk White, and the Museum’s 75th Anniversary, 2025.025 What can a thorn, a piece of coral, or even the tailbone of a horseshoe crab become in the hands of an artist? Spend an afternoon with internationally renowned artist Michele Oka Doner as she explores the natural world that has inspired and shaped her remarkable five-decade career. Working across sculpture, drawing, photography, public art, functional objects, and design, Oka Doner transforms close observation of nature into a distinctive visual language that bridges art, science, and spirituality. During this special artist talk, Oka Doner will share insights into her creative practice, the ideas and discoveries that have influenced her work, and her lifelong fascination with the forms, patterns, and unexpected beauty found in nature. The conversation also offers a special connection to the Taubman Museum of Art’s Permanent Collection, which includes two works by Oka Doner. Untitled (Terrible Chair) transforms thorn- and coral-like forms into a striking bronze and gold-leaf sculpture that blurs the boundaries between art and design. Her 2025 Untitled photograph finds something equally unexpected in nature: the tailbone of a horseshoe crab held in a hand, its form bearing the uncanny resemblance to a human face. Join us for this special event to discover how looking closely at the natural world can open an extraordinary world of artistic possibility. Free and welcoming to all, though registration is required to reserve your seat. Be sure to stick around after the talk! Michele will sign copies of her book, Intuitive Alphabet. Add to Calendar Driving? Get Directions Share This! Register Now This event is generously supported in part by The Dorothea Leonhardt Foundation, Inc. Venue: Event…

Description from taubmanmuseum.org