Collection: De Saint Phalle Niki

(Neully Seine 1930 - S. Diego 2002)

French by birth and American by adoption, Niki de Saint Phalle is a painter, sculptor, director and much more. She is best known for her Nanas (“chicks” in colloquial French), sculptures of giant women that adorn city squares and fountains, as well as that the Tarot Garden, the large sculpture park that the artist created in Tuscany. The female forms she created are large and exuberant, with breasts, abdomens and buttocks accentuated by images of hearts, flowers, suns and concentric circles similar to mandala.
De Saint Phalle began her career in literature, then studied theater and dreamed of becoming an actress. During this period, she posed as a model for Vogue and Life magazines and also turned her attention to the world of cinema. Only later did she begin to paint, starting this phase with the Tirs (target paintings) series, works created by shooting with a rifle to explode bags of paint on the canvas. She soon expanded her practice to create sculptures, installations, public art, architecture, gardens, playgrounds, videos and films, as well as several series of editions that allowed her to reach a vast audience and finance her most ambitious outdoor projects.
Following a serious nervous breakdown, she was admitted to hospital in Nice and discovered painting as her therapy, from then on she decided to dedicate herself completely to it.
The works in the gallery are original color lithographs and silkscreens. The former were printed by Mourlot for the catalogue of the solo exhibition at the Alexander Iolas Gallery; the latter are in current edition, signed on the plate.