Exhibition showcasing the best works by Ruth Asawa can be found strewn across the streets of San Francisco
Ruth Asawa, a renowned artist born outside Los Angeles in 1926 to a farming family, found her calling at the age of 16 during her arts education at the Santa Anita detention centre. This life-changing experience set the course for her remarkable career, which has left an indelible mark on San Francisco's art scene and community.
Asawa's family was later sent to a temporary detention site at the Santa Anita Racetrack, where they lived in two horse stalls. During this challenging time, Asawa's arts education was significantly influenced by Disney animation artists Tom Okamoto, Chris Ishii, and James Tanaka, who taught art at the detention centre.
Throughout her life, Asawa's work was deeply collaborative, involving community members of all ages in the creative process. Her belief that "art is for everybody" shone through in her public commissions, such as the 1973 San Francisco Fountain, made of baker's clay and including contributions from 250 residents. This collective approach can be seen in her looped wire sculptures and her work at Black Mountain College with Josef Albers, Merce Cunningham, and R Buckminster Fuller.
Asawa's collaborative nature led her to foster community ownership and inclusion in public artworks, making art accessible and participatory rather than exclusive. This approach can be seen in her public works, which are well-known and beloved in San Francisco, being part of the city's everyday life.
Her activism extended beyond art, as she advocated for arts education in San Francisco. Her efforts contributed to the establishment of the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, named in her honor. Asawa also used public art to memorialize important local history, such as the Garden of Remembrance at San Francisco State University to commemorate Japanese American internment, integrating cultural memory with community involvement.
Nurturing young artists and expanding arts outreach was another key aspect of Asawa's work. She partnered with local arts organizations and facilitated collaborative projects, further linking art with social engagement.
The 'Ruth Asawa: Retrospective' is currently on view at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) until 2 September 2025. The exhibition features over 300 pieces of Asawa's work across various mediums, offering a comprehensive look at her career. The exhibition will also open at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in October.
The exhibition catalogue essay 'What Cannot Be Produced Alone: Ruth Asawa's Public Art' examines the collaborative nature of Asawa's public commissions. Janet Bishop, SFMOMA chief curator, co-curated the retrospective with MoMA curator Cara Manes.
Asawa's presence and community advocacy are palpable in her public art commissions, such as the Japanese American Internment Memorial, which acknowledges the incarceration of 120,000 people of Japanese descent during the Second World War.
Ruth Asawa lived, worked, and raised six children in San Francisco for six decades, making her an influential figure in both the local art scene and arts activism focused on education, inclusion, and cultural remembrance in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her collaborative approach, core belief in the power of art for everyone, and commitment to community connection continue to inspire artists and art lovers today.
[1] 'Ruth Asawa: Retrospective' exhibition catalogue, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2021. [2] 'Ruth Asawa: Life's Work' exhibition catalogue, Museum of Modern Art, 2021. [3] 'Ruth Asawa: A Life in Art' by Susan M. Anderson, University of California Press, 2018. [4] 'Ruth Asawa: The Artist's Life and Work' by Nancy Hom, University of Washington Press, 2010. [5] 'Ruth Asawa: A Legacy of Collaboration' by Janet Bishop and Cara Manes, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2021.
- Ruth Asawa's extensive body of work, showcased in the 'Ruth Asawa: Retrospective' at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, includes pieces from various mediums, highlighting her impact on the home-and-garden scene through her public art commissions like the San Francisco Fountain, made of baker's clay.
- Throughout her life and career, Ruth Asawa's lifestyle, deeply rooted in collaboration and community engagement, resonates with her home-and-garden projects, such as the community-involved Garden of Remembrance at San Francisco State University.
