The month of May marks the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, which celebrates the history, culture and traditions of the Asians and Pacific Islanders in the US. And to start the month, Google dedicated a doodle on May 1st to Japanese-American artist Ruth Asawa. The Californian born artist overcame discrimination in the time of World War II and became a renowned sculptor who made masterpieces by weaving wires. A strong believer in arts and its power to make people better, Google Doodle honours her kickstarting the Pacific American Heritage Month. Happy Earth Day 2019! Google Doodle Explores Wandering Albatross, Coastal Redwood and Other Endangered Organisms Across Elevations.

The US audience who logs on the search engine will see Ruth Asawa's doodle. In the doodle, Asawa is seen making her iconic art, weaving wires to form letters of the word Google. Asawa is shown kneeling while she stitches her wire basket. The other graphics are also of her crochets. The doodle was made by Google's staff artist Alyssa Winans. Asawa also advocated for teaching art to kids. Bartolomé Esteban Murillo Remembered by Google on 400th Anniversary! Spanish Artist Gets His Giant Masterpiece As Doodle.

Asawa was interested in arts right from her childhood and won her first prize in 1939 in an art competition which depicted what makes someone an American. She was forcibly relocated in the internment centres when US took part in the WWII. Even there Asawa continued passionately with her love for arts and graduated. She wanted to become an art teacher.

Once on a visit to Mexico, she saw the baskets made from the galvanized wire by the villagers. She too started experimenting with crocheted wire sculptures. Today, some of her art pieces are exhibited at museums in the US. Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, the Museum of Modern Art, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles has her art pieces on display.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 01, 2019 07:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).