Ruth Asawa: Citizen of the Universe Modern Art Oxford: 12 February - 9 May 2021

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Oxford, UK: Citizen of the Universe is the first public solo exhibition in Europe of the work of Ruth Asawa (b. 1926, Norwalk, CA – d. 2013, San Francisco, CA). Focusing on a dynamic formative period in her life from 1945 to 1980, the exhibition gives audiences a unique experience of the artist and her work, exploring her legacy as an abstract sculptor crucial to modernism in the United States. The exhibition features her signature hanging sculptures in looped and tied wire and celebrates her holistic integration of art, education and community engagement, through which she called for an inclusive and revolutionary vision for art’s role in society.

Running parallel with the creation of her acclaimed sculptures Asawa was committed to arts education. This aspect of her practice will be explored in the exhibition through a selection of her drawing and printmaking, as well as archival materials displaying her work as an arts activist for professional artists working in state schools. Key projects include her Milk Carton Sculptures which encourage children to playfully interrogate found materials to deepen their understanding of abstract mathematical thinking. Asawa was ardently committed to art education’s role in transforming and empowering both adults and children, and was dedicated to giving children the opportunity to work directly with professional artists.

Her lifelong philosophy of the “integration of creative labour within daily life” was nurtured during her studies in the progressive educational environment of Black Mountain College from 1946-49. Here she joined the courses of artist Josef Albers and choreographer Merce Cunningham, and formed a lifelong friendship with visionary inventor and architect R. Buckminster Fuller. As a result of her experience Asawa wrote in 1948 that she was “a citizen of the universe…I no longer identify myself as a Japanese or an American”.

Her understanding that humanity and identity transcend race and class divisions enabled Asawa to overcome the discrimination that had shaped her early life. As a first generation Japanese-American growing up on the eve of World War II, Asawa experienced extreme racial prejudice. Following the outbreak of the war, the United States government forced 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, including Asawa and her family, to live in internment camps. Despite the extreme conditions, for Asawa, the internment was the first step on a journey to a world of art that profoundly changed who she was and what she thought was possible in life, spending most of her free time drawing and painting, learning from an animator from Walt Disney Studios who was among the internees.

Citizen of the Universe celebrates Asawa’s intricate suspended wire sculptures, explores her home life through photographic material, and displays drawings and archival material of her progressive education programmes and her time at Black Mountain College. For Asawa, living a full life meant being socially engaged, having a family, creating art with them, and fully participating in the life of her local community. Ruth Asawa chose to identify as a citizen of the universe, developing a sense of higher purpose grounded in making daily life better through art. Foregrounding these ideas, this exhibition is an affirmation of her timely relevance as a champion for the vital role creativity plays in daily life.

The exhibition is curated by Emma Ridgway, Head of Programme, Chief Curator at Modern Art Oxford, and Vibece Salthe, Curator at Stavanger Art Museum, and is organised in partnership with Stavanger Art Museum, Norway where it will be on display from 12 June - 17 October 2021. The development of this exhibition was supported by a Jonathan Ruffer Curatorial Research Grant from Art Fund.

Ruth Asawa: Citizen of the Universe is made possible through support from the Terra Foundation for American Art.

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Notes for Editors For media enquiries contact Clare Stimpson, Head of Digital and Communications, [email protected], +44 (0) 1865 813 826 or Alison Wright PR, [email protected], +44 (0) 7814 796 930

About Modern Art Oxford Modern Art Oxford is one of the UK’s most exciting and influential contemporary arts organisations. Founded in 1965, it is the only public institution dedicated to contemporary visual arts in Oxford and is free and open to all. Shaped by a longstanding commitment to education and inclusion, Modern Art Oxford is renowned for its bold, progressive and international artistic programme that promotes diverse viewpoints from around the world. Its acclaimed exhibitions, artist commissions, events and participatory activities encourage public engagement with creativity and the arts, and celebrate the relevance of contemporary visual culture to society today. www.modernartoxford.org.uk | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Modern Art Oxford, 30 Pembroke Street, Oxford, UK, OX1 1BP [email protected] 01865 722 733

About the Terra Foundation for American Art The Terra Foundation for American Art is dedicated to fostering exploration, understanding, and enjoyment of the visual arts of the United States for national and international audiences. Recognizing the importance of experiencing original works of art, the foundation provides opportunities for interaction and study, beginning with the presentation and growth of its own art collection in Chicago. To further cross-cultural dialogue on American art, the foundation supports and collaborates on innovative exhibitions, research, and educational programs. Implicit in such activities is the belief that art has the potential both to distinguish cultures and to unite them.

Ruth Asawa: Citizen of the Universe is supported by:

Modern Art Oxford is supported by Arts Council England, Oxford City Council and Lavazza.