A Home Town Favorite

Ruth Asawa was a prolific artist here in San Francisco. You’ll see her art hanging in the lobby of the Hotel Zoe, and you’ll see sculptures at Ghiradelli Square and Union Square. But in this retrospective, you’ll see the gamut all at once. We highly recommend this exhibit!

This first posthumous retrospective presents the full range of Ruth Asawa’s work and its inspirations over six decades of her career. As an artist, Asawa forged a groundbreaking practice through her ceaseless exploration of materials and forms. As an educator and civic leader, Asawa’s impact on San Francisco can still be felt today.

Take in the breadth and depth of Asawa’s creative practice.

You’ll find many of her signature suspended looped- and tied-wire sculptures alongside lesser-known works, including a selection of her sculptural “miniatures” — the smallest measuring just over one inch in diameter. From vibrant drawings and paintings to clay masks and cast bronze sculptures, more than 300 works give insight into Asawa’s relentlessly experimental vision.

Discover her deep connection to San Francisco.

A gallery that evokes the living room of Asawa’s longtime Noe Valley home opens with the artist’s hand-carved redwood doors, and features cases of her sketchbooks, art by friends that she kept on display, and a rich array of the sculptures that once hung from her ceiling. Archival materials show how Asawa shaped her adopted hometown through numerous public commissions and her dedication to arts education.

Participate in keeping her legacy alive.

We’ve built an oral history recording booth where you can share and discover community connections to the artist and her work. Live her values through one of the many events we have planned, including programs featuring a garden inspired by Asawa’s own and built by Habitat Horticulture on our Floor 4 terrace.

Check back often! Programs will continue to be added to our events calendar throughout the exhibition’s run.

Visit the SFMOMA for details and advanced tickets.