My husband and I hit a big milestone this week: 25 years together. Naturally, we celebrated in NYC. No matter how many times I visit, the city always fuels me, the art, the movement, the people, even the sensory overload (5th Ave, I’m looking at you 😂). It’s the kind of place that reminds me why I chose this artist life.
I spent time reconnecting with friends and meeting new ones at MoMA, which always feels like stepping into a creative recharge station. But nothing captured me quite like the Ruth Asawa Retrospective.
Her story alone is astounding: born to Japanese immigrant parents, she was unjustly incarcerated with her family during World War II. Even then, she continued drawing and creating, holding onto art as a lifeline. Later, at Black Mountain College, she was mentored by visionaries like Josef Albers and Buckminster Fuller, and her curiosity about everyday materials led her to develop the intricate looped-wire sculptures she’s now celebrated for. Inspired partly by basket-weaving techniques she learned in Mexico, her forms blur the line between sculpture, drawing, and shadow. They feel alive.
As an artist, seeing that kind of dedication and experimentation hits differently. I found myself studying the way her pieces breathe with the light—how something so minimal can be so powerful. It reminded me how important it is to stay curious, to explore, to let materials guide you.
I took a few photos, but they don’t come close to capturing the depth or delicacy of her work. The experience itself was the real inspiration.
