Eva Hesse: Fragile Structures of Feeling

Eva Hesse (1936–1970) was a German-born American artist whose practice encompassed sculpture, drawing, and painting, and is closely associated with Post-Minimalist art.

After relocating to the United States in 1938, she later developed a distinctive sculptural language that challenged the rigidity of Minimalism. Working with unconventional industrial materials such as latex, fiberglass, rope, and wire, she created forms that emphasize irregularity, softness, and physical instability.

Her work often explores repetition, fragility, and process, allowing materials to behave unpredictably and reveal signs of aging and transformation over time. Through this approach, Hesse introduced a more intimate and bodily sensibility into sculptural practice, addressing themes of vulnerability, impermanence, and material change.

Hang Up

Installation view, ‘Eva Hesse 1965’, Hauser & Wirth London, 2013 © The Estate of Eva Hesse.

Key Works: Hang Up, 1966 (Art Institute of Chicago);Repetition Nineteen III, 1968 (New York: Museum of Modern Art);Contingent, 1969 (Canberra: National Gallery of Australia)