Ruth Asawa

With Teacher Appreciation Week and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month both taking place in May, there’s no better moment to spotlight Ruth Asawa. A visionary artist and passionate advocate for arts education, Asawa was honored in 2020 with a pane of stamps showcasing her beautiful, almost otherworldly sculptures.

Born to Japanese immigrant parents and interned during World War II, Asawa spent her life pushing boundaries in both art and education. She took something as ordinary as wire (yes, the kind from a hardware store!) and turned it into floating forms that look like they belong in an underwater dreamscape. But her impact went beyond the studio. She believed that every student deserved access to the arts, and she spent years working to make that happen in schools and communities.

Whether she was twisting wire into mesmerizing shapes or helping young people discover their creative spark, Asawa showed us that beauty can be found in the most unexpected places — and that teaching is an art form all its own. Her stamps remind us that both art and education have the power to shape the way we see the world.