The content of my work derives from concepts and constructs from my past: childhood experiences, formal education, and an innate fascination with math and science. With techniques such as hand stitching, embroidery, knitting, rotary knitting machine, arm knitting, crochet, wet felting, cast and burnt sugar, as well as technological tools like the scanning electron microscope and computerized Jacquard loom, I express these ideas visually. My materials are as varied as thread, yarn, wool, sugar, tea bags, metallized Tyvek, silk, beeswax, plastic bags, and vintage linens.
My largest body of work is based on microscopy and magnification. Years spent looking through a microscope for my education and early career have inspired me to create the microscopic world into a tangible, non-magnified one. Embroidered bacteria, fungi, and larvae; the use of the scanning electron microscope on commercial fabrics for Jacquard weaving and photographic images; and felted bacteria and blood cells are the most recent subjects of my work.
A second body of work refers to geometric forms, both Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries. I recall as a child being captivated by the pattern of hexagon tiles on my grandmother’s bathroom floor. With seemingly limitless variations in color and arrangement, I create floor-level installations made of cast sugar hexagons, suspended pieces of stitched hexagons made of silk coated with beeswax, and wall hung tea bag quilts. Non-Euclidean hyperbolic geometric forms are represented with crochet to form hyperbolic planes and pseudospheres.
Ruth Tabancay’s passion for science led her to study microbiology in college. Following a stint as a hospital laboratory technologist, she went on to medical school. After 11 years in private practice, she left medicine to study art. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley; University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco; and California College of the Arts. Her work has been exhibited regionally and nationally, including The Textile Museum, Washington, D. C.; Museum of Craft and Design, San Francisco; Houston Center for Contemporary Craft; World Financial Center, New York City; California College of the Arts; and San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles. She lives in Berkeley, California.
SOLO AND 2, OR 3 PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2019 Geometricity 3.0 Solo Exhibition, Mercury 20, Oakland, CA
2019 Parts Unseen 3-Person Exhibition, Richmond Art Center
2018 Stitch, Solo Exhibition, Mercury 20, Oakland, CA,
2017 The Structure of Cloth 1.1, Solo Exhibition, Mercury 20, Oakland, CA
2017 The Structure of Cloth, Solo Exhibition, California College of the Arts, Oakland, CA. Lia Cook Jacquard Residency Exhibition
2016 Igneous Systems, Solo Exhibition, Mercury 20, Oakland, CA
2015 Geometricity 2.0, Solo Exhibition, Mercury 20, Oakland, CA
2014 Geometricity, Solo Exhibition, Mercury 20, Oakland, CA
2013 Microcosmos, Solo Exhibition, Mercury 20, Oakland, CA
2013 Recent Work, 2-Person Exhibition 555 12th Street, Lobby Exhibition, Oakland, CA.
2011 Twice the Size of Texas + Recent Work, Solo Exhibition, Kala Artist Project Space, Berkeley, CA
2005 Parallel Investigations, 3-Person Exhibition, ProArts Gallery, Oakland, CA
2001 Digital Visions, 2-Person Exhibition, Osceola Gallery, Emeryville, CA
2000 Microcosmos, BFA Solo Exhibition, California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland, CA
SELECTED RECENT GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021 Earth Matters, Watermark Art Center, Bemidji, MN.
Art on the Edge: From Extraction to Regeneration and Restoration 2, Peninsula Museum of Art,
San Bruno, CA. Women Eco Artists Dialog
2020 Materials Hard & Soft, Patterson-Appleton Arts Center, Denton, TX.
2019 Beyond the Surface, St. Louis Artist Guild, St. Louis, MO.
Beyond the Warp and Weft: The Enduring Legacy of the Bauhaus, Ruth’s Table, San Francisco, CA.
Matter of Form, SHOH Gallery, Berkeley, California.
Feast Your Eyes, Root Division, San Francisco, California.
International TECHstyle Biennial IV, San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, San Jose, CA.
Self-Portraits in the Age of Selfies, Mercury 20, Oakland, CA
2018 What Knot? Richmond Art Center, Richmond, CA.
Room for Thought, Space 151, San Francisco, CA.
Melting Point, Mercury 20, Oakland, CA.
Materials Hard & Soft, Patterson-Appleton Arts Center, Denton, TX
Message in a Bottle, Surfrider Foundation, Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco, CA
Sculpture Now: Works by Pacific Rim Sculptors, Peninsula Museum of Art, Burlingame,
20/20 Vision, Mercury 20, Oakland, CA
Forms and Sequences, Siskiyou Arts Museum, Dunsmuir, CA.
Ingenuity, Marin Society of Artists, San Rafael, CA.
Room Gallery, Mill Valley, CA.
2017 Vision + Light: Converging Senses, University of California, Berkeley, CA
Thread Heads, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA.
50|50 Show, Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, CA.
Fiber Art VIII International Biennial, Sebastopol Center for the Art, Sebastopol, CA.
Small Expressions. Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX.
Renegade Fiber. Marin Museum of Contemporary Craft, Novato, CA. Producers Award
Crop Up. 3rd Street Village Gallery, San Francisco, CA.
2016 Lines That Tie: Carole Beadle and Lia Cook. Museum of Craft and Design, San Francisco, CA.
Not Your Run of the Mill, Chandra Cerrito Gallery, Oakland, CA.
Transgressing Traditions. Schweinfurth Art Center, Auburn, NY.
Beyond the Surface. San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles.
M20@10, Mercury 20, Oakland, CA
2015 Materialities: Contemporary Textile Arts. Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN.
Materials Hard & Soft. Patterson-Appleton Center for the Visual Arts, Denton, TX
A Common Thread OAKLAND. Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA.
2014 More Than One Way. Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA.
Civic Center Art Exhibition, Berkeley, CA.
Sculpture! Pacific Rim Sculptors Group, Richmond Art Center, Richmond, CA.
In 3-D, Pacific Rim Sculptors Group, Art Ark Gallery, San Jose, CA.
2013 Milestones, Textiles of Tradition, San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, San Jose, CA.
CreativitTea, ACCI Gallery, Berkeley, CA
2012 Dichotomy of Art, Joyce Gordon Gallery, Oakland, CA.
After the Fall, Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
small stories, Urban Alchemist Design Collective, Brooklyn, NY.
Fiber Options: Material Explorations, Maryland Federation of Art, Annapolis, MD.
Latitude: All Media, Convergence, Handweavers Guild of America, Long Beach Convention Center,
Long Beach, CA. First Place Award.
Refuse/re-seen, Somethings Looming, Reading, PA. Honorable Mention.
Home is Where the Needle Marks, Pop Tart Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
New Fibers 2012, Fiber Arts Network, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI.
Connexions: California~Corsica, Casa Agostino Giafferri, Poggio-di-Venaco, Corsica, France.
Quilt Fest, La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum, La Conner, WA.
AB25 Collective Memories, Arts Benicia Gallery, Benicia, CA.
2011 Crossing Lines, World Financial Center Courtyard Gallery, New York City, NY.
Proof, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA.
Green: A Color and a Cause, The Textile Museum, Washington, D.C.
Materials: Hard & Soft, Greater Denton Arts Council, Denton, TX. Juror’s Award.
Fiberart International 2010, Memorial Art Gallery of Rochester, Rochester, NY.
Scrap, San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, San Jose, CA.
Civic Art Exhibition, City Hall, Berkeley, CA
Fiber Enriched, Morris Graves Museum of Art, Eureka, CA
2010 Fiberart International 2010, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Pittsburgh, PA.
Innovations in Contemporary Craft, Richmond Art Center, Richmond, CA.
Fantastic Fibers 2010, Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, KY
Innovations in Fiberarts V, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol, CA
2009 SmartArt Trash into Treasure, Lincart Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Science and Art Appreciation Night, Chabot Space and Science Center, Oakland, CA
Fine Art/Fine Craft, Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA. Second Place in Cla
Focus on Fiber II, Studio Channel Islands Art Center, Camarillo, CA
2008 Innovations in Fiberart IV, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol, CA. Merit Award
2007 National Craft Exhibition, ACCI Gallery, Berkley, CA. Juror’s Award
2006 By the Hand, Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
Coming into Focus, CCAC Alumni, San Pablo Arts Gallery, San Pablo, CA
Objects of Engagement, Pacific Rim Sculptors Group, San Francisco, CA
recycle show, Nido Gallery, Moss Landing, CA
2005 Napa Valley Mustard Festival Visual Art Competition, St. Supéry Winery, St. Helena, CA. Third Place, Sculpture
37th Annual Textile Exhibit, Olive Hyde Art Gallery, Fremont, CA
Fine Art/Fine Craft, Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA. Best in Class
ProArts Open Studios, Berkeley, CA
2004 (closer in), The Contemporary Artists Center, North Adams, MA
fiber/DIMENSIONS, Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, CA
Bags & Baggage, EDGE Group Show at Falkirk Cultural Center, San Rafael, CA
Textile and Quilt Show, Alameda Art Center, Alameda, CA. Award of Excellence
Intersections II, Fiber/DIMENSIONS Group Show, Herbst Exhibition Hall, The Presidio, San Francisco, CA
Third Dimension, Marin Society of Artists, Ross, CA. Honorable Mention
2003 Bon Appetit, Artisans Gallery, Mill Valley, CA. Best of Show
California Fine Art Exhibition, California State Fair, Sacramento, CA. Award of Merit (2)
Trash to Treasures, East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, Oakland, CA. Second Place, Professional
2002 Craftforms 2002, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA
A Needle and Thread, Adobe Art Gallery, Castro Valley, CA
Masque Parade, Solomon Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Digital Visions, The Center for Contemporary Art, Sacramento, CA
Waste Wise Extravaganza, Environmental Protection Agency, San Francisco, CA
Juried Annual 2002-03, ProArts Gallery, Oakland, CA. Juror’s Commendation
19th Annual National Juried Exhibition, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA
New Visions: Introductions 2002, ProArts Gallery, Oakland, CA
10th Annual Trash to Treasures, East Bay Depot of Creative Reuse, Berkeley, CA. Best of Show
34th Annual Textile Exhibit, Olive Hyde Art Gallery, Fremont, CA. Best of Show
Water Way to Go! Fine Art/Fine Craft Show, Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA. Second Place in Class
2001 Fine Art of Crafts, Artisans Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
Art, Science, and Technology, Artisans Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
California Works, California State Fair, Sacramento, CA. Award of Excellence and Award of Merit
Fair Forward, Fine Art/Fine Craft Show, Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA. Best of Class and Honorable Mention
Open Craft and Sculpture Show, Marin Society of Artists, Ross, CA. Tamalpais Weaver’s Award
BFA Graduate Exhibitions, Oliver Art Center, Central Gallery, and Alpha Galleries, California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland and San Francisco, CA
EDUCATION
2010-11 University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Certificate in Fiber Arts
1992-2000 California College of the Arts (previously California College of the Arts and Crafts) Oakland, CA.
BFA in Textiles, with High Distinction
1975-79 University of California, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA. MD
1973-74 University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. Medical Technologist License
1969-73 University of California, Berkeley, CA. BA in Bacteriology
RECENT BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Studio Works Blog, April 24, 2018
Artistry in Fiber, Vol. 2: Sculpture, Anne Lee & E. Ashley Rooney, Schiffer Publlshing Ltd, 2016, pg 200
Artist of the Day, August 10, 2016, ArtandArt Deadlines.com
Featured Artist, August 2016, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA
Bakker, Ellen. World-Wide Colors of Felt, Textile-link, Netherlands, 2016, pg 138
“MFA Never,” February 10-27, 2016, Exhibition Catalogue, pg 165. Root Division, San Francisco, CA
Burke, Sarah. Mercury 20 at 10, East Bay Express (February 9, 2016)
Materialities: Contemporary Textile Arts, (August 29-October 31, 2015, Exhibition Catalogue, pg. 73. Sandra J. Blain Gallery, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN
Frock, Chrisian, Featured. Ruth Tabancay: Geometricity 2.0, SF ARTS Monthly (September, 2015)
Danovich, Tove.” Me-tea-morphosis: Tea Bags Get Second Life as Works of Art.” The Salt, NPR (July 28, 2015)
Maestretti, Danielle. “Made in Oakland,” American Craft, pg 99 (June/July, 2015)
Burke, Sarah.” Getting to Know You,” East Bay Express (December 24, 2014)
Burke, Sarah.” Personalized Parallels,” East Bay Express (July 18, 2014)
Burke, Sarah. “Under the Microscope,” East Bay Express (July 17, 2013)
Kramer, Aaron, Juror. Latitude: All Media, Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot. (Spring 2013) Vol XLIV No. 2 , Issue 174, pg 40
Admin. “Art of Fabric at Financial Center” (January 30, 2012) Tribecca Trib
“Materials: Hard & Soft,” February 6-April 2, 2015, Exhibition Catalogue. The Patterson-Appleton Center for the Visual Arts, Denton, TX
Swinkels, Dorothé. “Sing@lement,” Textiel Plus (Netherlands) (Voorjaar, 2012) Nummer 219, pg 5
Maue, Joetta. Future Heirlooms: Ruth Tabancay, mr x stitch (July, 2012)
“New Fibers, 2012,” November 14-December 16, 2012. Exhibition Catalogue, University Gallery, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI
Behm-Steinburg, Hugh, editor. ElevenEleven, Journal of Literature and Art, California College of the Arts, Oakland, CA
(Issue 10, Winter 2011)
Clark, Kathryn. Artist: Ruth Tabancay, Kathryn Clark (August, 31, 2011)
Sackett, Ellen Ritscher. “Repurposed ‘Materials,” Denton Record Chronicle, (March 17, 2011)
RECENT PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY
2021 Speaker, Golden Gate Weavers Guild, Berkeley, CA
2021 Guest Presenter for class, Diachronic, Adjunct Professor Deborah Stein, California College of the Arts, Oakland, CA
2021 Speaker, Earth Matters, Surface Design Association Exhibition, Online Reception, Bemidji, MN
2018 Co-administrator with Richmond Art Center, What Knot? Juried Exhibition at Richmond Art Center, for Surface Design Association, Northern California Chapter
2017-18 Pacific Rim Sculptors Group, Board of Directors and Vice-President, San Francisco, CA
2016 Lia Cook Jacquard Residency, California College of Art, Oakland, CA
2015 Administrator, Juried Exhibition Beyond the Surface at San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, for Surface Design Association, Northern California Chapter
2015 Co-Curator, A Common Thread OAKLAND. Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
2013 Co-juror, Student Exhibition for Surface Design Association Conference, In•ter•face, San Antonio, TX
2013 Artist in Residence, Crochet Workshop, Creative Growth, Oakland, CA
2013-19 Surface Design Association, Northern California Representative
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2019 Surface Design Association Journal, Fall 2019, Exhibition in Print, pg. 34-36. Material Explorations Award
2019 A Feast for the Eyes: Food Art from Apple to Zucchini, Carolyn Tillie. Reaktion Books
2017 Surface Design Association Journal, Winter 2017, Exhibition in Print, pg. 57
2017 Artistry in Fiber, Vol. 2: Sculpture, Anne Lee & E. Ashley Rooney, Schiffer Publlshing Ltd
2016 Worldwide Colours of Felt. Ellen Bakker, Textile-link
2011 ElevenEleven, Issue 10, Winter, California College of the Arts
2005 Surface Design Journal, Spring Issue
2004 Fiberarts Design Book 7, Lark Books
AFFILIATIONS
Pacific Rim Sculptors Group
Surface Design Association
Women Eco Artists Dialog
PUBLIC COLLECTION
Oakland Museum, Oakland, CA
