The installation view of the exhibition, Courtesy of David Zwirner Gallery
The David Zwirner Gallery in Hong Kong has unveiled its first solo exhibition dedicated to the works of Ruth Asawa, a groundbreaking artist, educator, and arts advocate. Running from November 19, 2024, to February 22, 2025, Ruth Asawa: Doing Is Living spans five decades of her prolific career, showcasing pieces that emphasize her innovative use of materials and her philosophy of integrating art seamlessly into life. Many of these works, including her renowned wire sculptures, are being displayed publicly for the first time.
Ruth Asawa (1926–2013) is celebrated for her transformative approach to art, which bridges the abstract and the figurative, often merging personal and domestic life with artistic practice. Her ethos of "doing is living," encapsulated in her own words, underscores her dedication to making art an inseparable part of everyday existence. This exhibition brings Asawa's vision to Greater China, introducing a new audience to the depth and breadth of her artistic achievements.
The installation view of the exhibition, Courtesy of David Zwirner Gallery
Asawa’s career reflects a relentless curiosity and experimentation with form and material. Her iconic looped-wire sculptures, first developed in the late 1940s, defy traditional boundaries of sculpture by emphasizing lightness, transparency, and spatial interaction. These works were inspired by a visit to Mexico in 1947, where she learned the technique of basket weaving from local artisans. Adapting this method, she transformed industrial wire into delicate yet robust structures that seem to float in space, redefining the relationship between material and form.
The exhibition also features Asawa's tied-wire sculptures, a series she began in 1962. These works draw on her fascination with organic growth patterns, sparked by a desert plant whose branches split exponentially. Unable to replicate its complexity in two dimensions, she turned to three-dimensional sculpture, using wire to mimic the plant's intricate structures. These tied-wire pieces, like her looped-wire works, reveal her commitment to exploring natural forms and processes, capturing their essence through innovative materials.
Untitled (S.396, Wall-Mounted, Tied-Wire, Open-Center, Eight-Branched Form Based on Nature), c. 1982 Wall-mounted sculpture—brass wire, 60 x 60 x 5 inches (152.4 x 152.4 x 12.7 cm), Courtesy of David Zwirner Gallery
Asawa's artistic practice was deeply integrated into her family life. Her home in San Francisco's Noe Valley became a living studio, with looped- and tied-wire sculptures hanging from its vaulted ceiling. Her children grew up watching her create art at the kitchen table, surrounded by sketches, wire, and plants. For Asawa, art was not a separate endeavor but a natural extension of her daily life. Her daughter, Aiko Cuneo, recalled, "To us, she wasn’t working. Her art-making space was always in our house, and it was simply part of who she was."
In October 2024, Asawa was posthumously awarded the National Medal of Arts, the United States’ highest honor for artists and art patrons. She is only the second visual artist to receive this recognition posthumously, highlighting the enduring impact of her work. Following this exhibition, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) will host the first major retrospective of Asawa’s work in partnership with The Museum of Modern Art, New York. This retrospective, set to premiere in April 2025, will travel internationally to prestigious institutions such as the Guggenheim Bilbao and the Fondation Beyeler.
The installation view of the exhibition, Courtesy of David Zwirner Gallery
Accompanying the Hong Kong exhibition is a newly published essay by Tiffany Bell titled Ruth Asawa: Working from Nothing. The essay delves into Asawa’s creative process and her ability to synthesize disparate influences into cohesive, innovative works. Bell's writing provides a scholarly lens through which to appreciate the depth of Asawa's contributions to postwar American art.
Ruth Asawa: Doing Is Living not only honors the legacy of an artist who blurs the lines between life and art but also invites viewers to reconsider the role of creativity in their own lives. Her sculptures, which balance strength and fragility, abstraction and nature, are a testament to her belief that art is not confined to galleries or museums but exists as an integral part of the human experience.
Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com
The installation view of the exhibition, Courtesy of David Zwirner Gallery
The David Zwirner Gallery in Hong Kong has unveiled its first solo exhibition dedicated to the works of Ruth Asawa, a groundbreaking artist, educator, and arts advocate. Running from November 19, 2024, to February 22, 2025, Ruth Asawa: Doing Is Living spans five decades of her prolific career, showcasing pieces that emphasize her innovative use of materials and her philosophy of integrating art seamlessly into life. Many of these works, including her renowned wire sculptures, are being displayed publicly for the first time.
Ruth Asawa (1926–2013) is celebrated for her transformative approach to art, which bridges the abstract and the figurative, often merging personal and domestic life with artistic practice. Her ethos of "doing is living," encapsulated in her own words, underscores her dedication to making art an inseparable part of everyday existence. This exhibition brings Asawa's vision to Greater China, introducing a new audience to the depth and breadth of her artistic achievements.
The installation view of the exhibition, Courtesy of David Zwirner Gallery
Asawa’s career reflects a relentless curiosity and experimentation with form and material. Her iconic looped-wire sculptures, first developed in the late 1940s, defy traditional boundaries of sculpture by emphasizing lightness, transparency, and spatial interaction. These works were inspired by a visit to Mexico in 1947, where she learned the technique of basket weaving from local artisans. Adapting this method, she transformed industrial wire into delicate yet robust structures that seem to float in space, redefining the relationship between material and form.
The exhibition also features Asawa's tied-wire sculptures, a series she began in 1962. These works draw on her fascination with organic growth patterns, sparked by a desert plant whose branches split exponentially. Unable to replicate its complexity in two dimensions, she turned to three-dimensional sculpture, using wire to mimic the plant's intricate structures. These tied-wire pieces, like her looped-wire works, reveal her commitment to exploring natural forms and processes, capturing their essence through innovative materials.
Untitled (S.396, Wall-Mounted, Tied-Wire, Open-Center, Eight-Branched Form Based on Nature), c. 1982 Wall-mounted sculpture—brass wire, 60 x 60 x 5 inches (152.4 x 152.4 x 12.7 cm), Courtesy of David Zwirner Gallery
Asawa's artistic practice was deeply integrated into her family life. Her home in San Francisco's Noe Valley became a living studio, with looped- and tied-wire sculptures hanging from its vaulted ceiling. Her children grew up watching her create art at the kitchen table, surrounded by sketches, wire, and plants. For Asawa, art was not a separate endeavor but a natural extension of her daily life. Her daughter, Aiko Cuneo, recalled, "To us, she wasn’t working. Her art-making space was always in our house, and it was simply part of who she was."
In October 2024, Asawa was posthumously awarded the National Medal of Arts, the United States’ highest honor for artists and art patrons. She is only the second visual artist to receive this recognition posthumously, highlighting the enduring impact of her work. Following this exhibition, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) will host the first major retrospective of Asawa’s work in partnership with The Museum of Modern Art, New York. This retrospective, set to premiere in April 2025, will travel internationally to prestigious institutions such as the Guggenheim Bilbao and the Fondation Beyeler.
The installation view of the exhibition, Courtesy of David Zwirner Gallery
Accompanying the Hong Kong exhibition is a newly published essay by Tiffany Bell titled Ruth Asawa: Working from Nothing. The essay delves into Asawa’s creative process and her ability to synthesize disparate influences into cohesive, innovative works. Bell's writing provides a scholarly lens through which to appreciate the depth of Asawa's contributions to postwar American art.
Ruth Asawa: Doing Is Living not only honors the legacy of an artist who blurs the lines between life and art but also invites viewers to reconsider the role of creativity in their own lives. Her sculptures, which balance strength and fragility, abstraction and nature, are a testament to her belief that art is not confined to galleries or museums but exists as an integral part of the human experience.
