Ever since I started working with metal wires , long before “wire crochet” became so popular, I’ve been repeatedly asked the same question:
“Do you know the work of Ruth Asawa? Is this the technique you use to create your designs?”
The truth? the first time I was asked this, I had no clue...
in any case It’s a huge compliment every time someone brings her up. Ruth Asawa is a legend in the world of wire art.
But the answer to the part if this is how I work with wires, then… nope, not at all 🙂
I’m well familiar with her technique not just her work and her breathtaking sculptures. Her work is full of large gestures as you can see from the photos. wide movements, and a kind of suspended, floating presence, forms that feel like spatial looping, almost like drawing in the air with wire. It’s extraordinary, and anyone who loves wire work should absolutely spend time with her creations.
My own artistic journey, however, grew in a very different direction.
While Asawa worked with very large forms, I go with precision, minimalism, and the quiet focus that emerges when working with a crochet hook. My process is intimate, detailed, and rhythmic, closer to meditation than to sculpture.
And as you probably know if you’ve found your way here, what I do is:
❌ not crochet
❌ not lacework
❌ not Peruvian knitting (yep — that does exist)
and not many other things...
What I do is wire crochet using the ISK technique — a method I’ve been refining and obsessing over for nearly two decades. It’s its own world, its own language, and one I never stop exploring.
Two reasons:
1. Because if you appreciate my work, I’m almost certain you’d fall in love with hers.
Her sculptures are a masterclass in what wire can become, fluid, architectural, and deeply poetic.
2. Because the MoMA in New York is hosting a major retrospective of her work.
Over 300 pieces are on display, a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in the evolution of one of the most influential wire artists.
If you happen to be in the neighborhood, or planning a trip, this is absolutely worth adding to your list.
The exhibition runs until February 9th 2026.
Here’s one of my favorite Ruth Asawa quotes — one I stumbled upon years ago and never stopped loving:
"I have made doing art part of my life. Art is doing. There is either doing or talking about it. Art deals directly with life. After it is done, someone comes along to write about it; then someone comes along to exhibit it [...]. The only step that is truly real is the first step. The making of the object. This is the step that children should be involved with completely. This involvement helps them to learn their capabilities and limitations. It is learning by making."
— Ruth Asawa, 1970
As always — learning by making is the heart of every craft.
And in the world of wire crochet and ISK, that first step is where all the magic begins.
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Landed here by chance and want to get started wire crocheting in the ISK technique ?
check the where do I start page ! & feel free to get in touch with me via the contact us page
