Ruth Asawa

Celebrated for weaving out space with her looped-wire sculptures in 20th-century abstraction, Ruth Asawa was also recognised for her contributions to public art and activism in education. Born in 1926 in Norwalk, California, Awasa was the fourth of seven children born to Japanese immigrant parents. During World War II, her family was separated and sent to different Japanese internment camps as a result of isolation policies for Japanese-Americans mandated by the US government.

After the war, Asawa attended Black Mountain College in North Carolina, where she studied under prominent artists like Josef Albers. This avant-garde institution shaped her artistic philosophy and introduced her to various artistic mediums. It was during a trip to Mexico in 1947 that she learned the wire-looping techniques from local craftsmen, a skill that became central to her work.

Ruth Asawa is best known for her intricate wire sculptures, which she began creating in the 1940s. These sculptures, made by looping and weaving wire, have a delicate, ethereal quality and explore complex geometric forms. Her ability to transform industrial materials into organic, flowing shapes distinguished her as a pioneering figure in Modernist art. Her works are celebrated for their interplay of light and shadow, often resembling three-dimensional drawings suspended in space. In 2020 Christie’s sold her work Untitled (S.401, Hanging Seven-Lobed, Continuous Interlocking Form, with Spheres within Two Lobes) (c.1953–54) for US$5,382,500 — a world auction record for the artist.

Beginning in the mid-1960s, Asawa worked on a number of public commissions. Dubbed the ‘Fountain Lady’, the artist created whimsical fountains that tap into the imagination of both children and adults alike. Ruth Awasa’s San Francisco Fountain is an iconic bronze sculpture and fountain created in 1970, alongside Andrea, Asawa’s first public sculpture installed in Ghirardelli Square in 1968.

Asawa was also a passionate advocate for arts education. In 1982 she co-founded the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, a public arts high school that emphasises on creative development alongside academic achievement. Awasa passed away in 2013. Her legacy endures through her captivating sculptures, visionary public art and profound impact on arts education.