Ruth Asawa at the MOMA

A series of circular metal mesh objects casting intricate shadows on a white surface, creating an abstract visual effect.

On a cold Thursday in February, I hopped on a bus and headed to the Museum of Modern Art. Mounds of crusty snow lined the streets, left from the snowstorm that pounded the area just a few days before. It was a good day for the museum.

Everyone else must have been thinking the same thing, because it was packed. I was there to see Ruth Asawa: A Retrospective. I was not familiar with this artist, so I really had no idea what to expect.

The exhibit featured 300 artworks—bronze casts, drawings, paintings, prints, public works, and wire sculptures. She made artwork every day, and her passion was evident.

I was especially intrigued by the wire sculptures and can only describe them as otherworldly. Long wire forms hung from the ceiling, casting shadows that were just as much part of the artwork as the forms. They filled room after room, and in their abundance started to feel like ethereal beings holding space, peaceful and calm in their presence.

The museum wall text stated: "Asawa described her process as 'taking one simple element and carrying that idea through many materials and finally coming out with a new form.' Wire allowed her to pursue line in three dimensions—she considered the continuously looping lines of her sculptures to be 'an extension of drawing.'"

I left feeling completely blown away by her work and inspired to keep making discoveries in my own artistic practice.