Ruth Asawa’s Quiet Monument at MoMA

Opening October 19, Ruth Asawa: Retrospective will be the most extensive exhibition ever presented by MoMA or SFMOMA for a woman artist—though neither institution is framing it that way. Bringing together more than 275 works, the show spans Asawa’s wire sculptures, bronze and paper studies, and intimate sketches that trace her lifelong exploration of natural form and material process.

Curators Cara Manes and Janet Bishop have opted for quiet depth over headline superlatives, echoing Asawa’s own humility and discipline. While the art world often measures greatness in scale and spectacle, this retrospective instead honors Asawa’s integration of art, labor, and daily life—a practice rooted in care, experimentation, and endurance.

The exhibition, five years in the making, will travel to the Guggenheim Bilbao and Fondation Beyeler through 2027.