Ruth Asawa Show Arrives in Bilbao

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao opens 'Ruth Asawa: Retrospective,' a comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the Japanese-American artist on March 19. It was previously presented at SFMOMA and MoMA New York.

The exhibition feature a wide array of Asawa's work, including her signature looped-wire and tied-wire sculptures, which explore themes of abstraction and representation. Beyond her renowned wire forms, the exhibition will encompass pieces in clay, bronze casts, paperfolds, paintings, drawings, sketchbooks, and prints.

It includes her early commerical art through to major public commissions, such as San Francisco Fountain unveiled in 1972, and late works inspired by plants growing in her garden.

The exhibition is presented in collaboration with institutions including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Curatorial contributions come from Janet Bishop, Cara Manes, Geaninne Gutiérrez-Guimarães, Miren Arzalluz, and Henry Weverka, aiming to highlight Asawa's significant contributions to modern art.

Asawa's innovative approach to sculpture, particularly her pioneering work with wire, challenged conventional notions of form and space. Her dedication to art education also remains a pivotal aspect of her legacy, reinforcing her influence beyond her artistic output.