Ruth Asawa's first European retrospective opens at Guggenheim Bilbao

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao presents the first major European retrospective of Japanese American artist Ruth Asawa (1926–2013), following earlier showings at the Museum of Modern Art and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Born in Norwalk, California, to Japanese immigrant farmers, Asawa was interned during World War II, where she began drawing. In 1946 she entered Black Mountain College in North Carolina, where she developed her practice influenced by Bauhaus interdisciplinary approaches and weaving techniques observed in Mexico. Her sculptures, described as "drawing in space," are made from wire and explore transparency and the continuity between interior and exterior. The exhibition is organized into ten sections covering over sixty years of work, including sculptures, drawings, notebooks, paper folds, clay and bronze casts, photographs, and ephemera. It highlights her shift in the 1980s toward public art and participatory processes, emphasizing a democratic, community-oriented vision. The retrospective runs until September 13, 2026, at the Guggenheim Bilbao, Abandoibarra Etorb., 2, Abando, Bilbao.