Art Reflection: Ruth Asawa: A Retrospective at MoMA (Fall 2025)

Ruth Asawa is a name I’ve come across again and again as I’ve become more immersed in studying art. This retrospective was spectacular, with 300 of her works on view. I was already aware of Asawa’s tactile nature—she doesn’t shy away from texture or form, and her wire sculptures, in particular, exist within a universe of their own. I was excited to enter this exhibition somewhat blind to her history, and even more excited to experience her work for itself.

Suspension was a key component in many of her wire sculptures. Everything felt as though it were floating, the thread almost barely there. They didn’t feel like sculptures so much as alien-like beings hovering over our shoulders. I loved how playful the work felt. It didn’t take itself too seriously, and there were so many beautiful variations of form that Asawa achieved through the wiring.

Another thing that caught my eye immediately was the shadows cast by these sculptures. Beyond the tactile medium of wire and the texture it creates, the work also played with light, producing gorgeous shadows full of intricate detail. They almost looked like embroidered doilies spread across the floor.

The shadows in these photos, in particular, feel like echoes of material—beginning with the sculpture itself and extending outward until you almost can’t tell what the shadow has become. It’s deeply poetic, and it was especially exciting to see in person.

This door felt like the entrance to a monastery or some sacred, spiritual place. I loved the way the door itself is such a rigid, grounded structure, yet decorated with airy, almost swirling, cloud-like grooves. These were the doors to her home, made of redwood—what a testament to her practice, not only as an artist, but as a human.

“Some of the sculptures also reminded me of amorphous, aquatic beings you might find in the darkest parts of the ocean. Almost like mirrors to the self, they made me feel empty but present at the same time. They aren’t loud or chaotic; instead, they’re meditative, revealing a deep sense of thought and intention.

I also really enjoyed viewing her work in other mediums, especially the piece in the upper right-hand corner that she made while studying at Black Mountain College. It’s a print made using the college’s stamp—simple, but genius in the way she turns it to create an endlessly echoing pattern. Even early in her career, you can see how the transitory nature of pattern was one of her strengths, weaving itself through the work much like her wire.

This retrospective exhibition is special. Asawa’s art is ethereal, uncovering an inner sense of steadiness in a chaotic world. It asks the viewer to slow down, to appreciate the details, and to be fully present with the work. You can feel the intentionality throughout, and I’m deeply thankful to have been able to not only witness her work in person, but to also feel its presence.