See Bay Area artist Ruth Asawa's intimate work at the Cantor Arts Center.
Ruth Asawa with life masks on the exterior wall of her house.
In 2020, Stanford’s Cantor Arts Center acquired “Untitled (LC.012, Wall of Masks)” by the late legendary Bay Area artist Ruth Asawa. These 233 masks, initially displayed on the exterior of Asawa’s family home in Noe Valley, had never been exhibited anywhere. Following two years of conservation treatment and meticulous planning, the artworks became a long-term installation, The Faces of Ruth Asawa, at the Cantor. This dynamic exhibition delves into Asawa’s intimate relationship with clay and provides a fresh perspective on her diverse work.
Preservationists carefully check the masks before the exhibit.
Asawa co-founded the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, a public high school. Additionally, she held influential positions within the San Francisco Arts Commission and California Arts Council, among other significant contributions to the arts community. Ongoing, 328 Lomita Drive, Stanford, museum.stanford.edu
Photography by: COURTESY DAVID ZWIRNE, COURTESY CANTOR ARTS CENTER
