Ruth Asawa

Changing the face of art

EXHIBIT HONORS LEGACY OF EDUCATION

DOWN THE MARBLE corridor of Stanford University’s Cantor Arts Center, one exhibit captivates the eyes of of Asawa that people don’t usually associate with her work,” Aiko Cuneo, Asawa’s daughter and an art educator, said. “And everyone young and old can identify with many: “The Faces of Ruth Asawa.” Clay the group of faces.” masks of 233 unique faces line the exhib- Collaboration was essential to Asawa it’s wall, natural light early on, from workaccentuating every detail. Asawa’s mask rests on the top right corner, as if watching over the crowd. “The faces on the wall is another side of Asawa that people don’t ing on her family’s farm, learning from Disney cartoonists in a Japanese internment camp to workAs part of its recent Asian American usually associate with ing with prestigious European artists at Art Initiative, the Can- her art.” Black Mountain tor is displaying the College. clay face masks cast — AIKO CUNEO, Asawa’s daughter While raising six by the late Japanese children, Asawa conAmerican artist to honor her work and her tinued to complete her art, often working contribution to art education, especially in early in the morning when the rest of her Northern California. family was asleep. Asawa’s son, ceramic art-

Asawa is most known for her wire ist Paul Lanier, describes the house he grew sculptures that experiment with color, up in as a “hub of activity.” form, transparency and shadow. “When people would come over to the

“The faces on a wall is another side house, she would say, ‘Wow, you have such

ASAWA AND HER ART (FAR LEFT) — Asawa sits with her wire sculptures at the Oakland Museum of California in 2002. “The path she took as an artist shows her quiet determination,” Aiko Cuneo, Asawa’s daughter, said. Photo: Laurence Cuneo. Photo and Artwork © 2022 Ruth Asawa Lanier, Inc. / Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York. Courtesy of David Zwirner

WALL OF FACES (MIDDLE) — The colors of the masks in the exhibit do not correspond to the subject’s races. Paul Lanier, Asawa’s son and ceramicist, helped cast many of the masks. “When we cast a face, it’s not just capturing a completely unique human being, but also a moment in time when they’re that age,” Lanier said. Photo: Austin Eng

ARTISTIC ASHES (RIGHT) — Displayed with the masks are ceramic vessels made by Paul Lanier, Asawa’s son. The clay in the vessels contains the ashes of Asawa, her husband, Albert Lanier, and Paul Lanier’s brother, Adam. “I’m happy how it came out but I never want to do that again,” Lanier said. Photo: Austin Eng

an interesting face! Can I cast your face?’” Lanier said.

Asawa’s guests would lie on a table, covered with a sheet, while Asawa applied plaster to their faces. She would layer Vaseline onto her subjects’ skin and eyebrows first so the plaster wouldn’t stick. The process took 20–30 minutes.

Afterward, clay was pressed into the mold and fired in the kiln, resulting in incredible definition and variation in the masks.

“When we cast a face, it’s not just capturing a completely unique human being, but also a moment in time when they’re that age,” Lanier said.

According to Cuneo, when Asawa would cast the face of one of her students, a large group of students and teachers would surround her to observe.

“Even though it was one child having his face cast, the community got to watch and be a part of the process,” Cuneo said. “She liked the idea of involving the community in arts projects, giving all those who contributed a sense of pride and ownership.”

Asawa believed that all students should have the same experience learning art that she did.

In 1968, she co-founded a program to improve art education at her kids’ elementary school, focusing on projects with inexpensive materials, such as egg cartons, yarn scraps and flour.

“She really wanted art to be considered part of the child’s education,” Cuneo said. “We had it just by virtue of being her children and seeing it around us. But a lot of kids didn’t have that.”

Today, Asawa’s influence can be seen in Northern California, including the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, a public arts high school she co-founded in San Francisco and a San Jose memorial to Japanese Americans who were interned during World War II.

Her work has also gained recognition across the U.S. and abroad. In 2020, the U.S. Postal Service released postage stamps bearing Asawa’s wire sculptures, and in 2021, she had her first show in Europe. “I’m totally amazed at how her story and work have found new audiences,” Cuneo said. “The path she took as an artist shows her quiet determination.” The collaboration that fueled Asawa’s art is evident when visiting the “Faces of Ruth Asawa” exhibit.

“She shared her knowledge by teaching others that they could find joy in the experience of making art, whether they were alone making the art or together as a community,” Cuneo said. “The arts bring community together.” v