Umakichi

1965

Ruth Asawa

Associated Names
Ruth Asawa

Artist, American, 1926 - 2013

Tamarind Institute

Publisher

The image shows a person's upper body centered within the frame, facing the viewer directly. The facial features are obscured due to the negative and grainy nature of the photograph, but a broad face, eyes, and short hair can be made out. They wear a textured garment and a pendant or medallion around the neck. The background is ornate with intricate designs resembling large floral bursts scattered around. The overall background is richly detailed with dark, abstract patterns blending seamlessly into the artwork's atmospheric style.
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Artwork overview

More About this Artwork

Article:  Centering Asian Artists in the American Story

Asian Americans are often left out of view of US history. But their lives—and their art—are an essential part of the nation’s story.

This print shows a network of interlocking pink lines radiating from a central red point to form a circular pattern. The shapes resemble a vibrant, stylized flower or mandala against a white background. The branching lines get smaller and smaller as they reach the edge of the circle, and from slightly before then to the edge of the print the background is a bright, vibrant yellow.

Article:  Ruth Asawa’s Little-Known Experiment with Printmaking

Memorialized in stamps for her wire sculptures, the artist’s experiments with printmaking have been largely forgotten.

Artwork history & notes

Bibliography

1989

  • Devon, Marjorie, and Peter Walch. Catalogue Raisonné: Tamarind Lithography Workshop, Inc., 1960-1970. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Art Museum, 1989, no. 1476IV.

Inscriptions

lower right in graphite: TAM IMP ASAWA

Markings

BS: Tamarind (T.1), Fischer (T.15)

Wikidata ID

Q74040327

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