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Ruth Asawa — Untitled (S.323, Freestanding Portrait of Woman on Wooden Base)
Ruth Asawa

Untitled (S.323, Freestanding Portrait of Woman on Wooden Base)

1953

A delicate wire sculpture constructed from coiled iron and enameled copper wire, mounted on a wooden base. The openwork form suggests a female head and torso, with two projecting arms extending horizontally from the shoulders. The entire surface consists of intricate, interlocking loops and curves that create a lacy, three dimensional mesh, allowing light to pass through the interior void. The warm brown patina of the metal contrasts subtly with the natural wood support, while the sculptural approach prioritizes linear gesture and spatial volume over solid form.

Medium
Iron and enameled copper wire
Dimensions
Location
David Zwirner 69th Street, New York, NY

Notes

From the exhibition 'Set in Stone' at David Zwirner 69th Street, NYC, May 12 to June 26, 2026, in collaboration with Galerie Kugel, Paris. Tombstone date: c. 1953.

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About this work

Ruth Asawa, Untitled (S.323, Freestanding Portrait of Woman on Wooden Base), 1953

A delicate wire sculpture constructed from coiled iron and enameled copper wire, mounted on a wooden base. The openwork form suggests a female head and torso, with two projecting arms extending horizontally from the shoulders. The entire surface consists of intricate, interlocking loops and curves that create a lacy, three dimensional mesh, allowing light to pass through the interior void. The warm brown patina of the metal contrasts subtly with the natural wood support, while the sculptural approach prioritizes linear gesture and spatial volume over solid form.

Medium
Iron and enameled copper wire
Dimensions
30.48 x 21.59 x 21.59 cm
Year
1953
Seen at
Adler Beatty, New York, NY

Related themes

Wire Construction, Handmade, Three Dimensional, Iron Metal, Mid-Twentieth Century, Copper Wire, Open Form, Figurative Abstraction, Minimalist Aesthetic, Modernist, Figure Representation, Spatial Void, Geometric Form, Contemporary Craftsmanship, Portrait Abstraction, Abstract Sculpture, American Art, Wooden Base, Metal Sculpture, Linear Composition

More works by Ruth Asawa

Collected by

Albert Sun, Alex Capecelatro