Niki de Saint Phalle

Avant-garde artist who challenged gender norms and societal violence through bold, large-scale sculptures and public installations.

Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002) was a trailblazing French-American artist whose work shattered conventions in both art and society. Best known for her Nanas—colorful, voluptuous female sculptures—she transformed public spaces into realms of joy and defiance. Her monumental Tarot Garden in Tuscany, a 14-acre sculpture park, remains a testament to her visionary blend of myth and feminism.

Saint Phalle’s early Shooting Paintings (1961–1963) involved firing rifles at plaster-covered canvases to release bags of paint, symbolizing rebellion against patriarchal structures. She later co-founded the New Realists movement, collaborating with Jean Tinguely. Her Hon (1966), a giant reclining sculpture visitors entered through the vagina, sparked debates about female agency.

Beyond art, Saint Phalle advocated for AIDS awareness and gun control, funding documentaries like Niki de Saint Phalle: Who Is the Monster? Her memoir, Mon Secret, revealed childhood trauma, linking her art to personal healing. By merging activism with surrealism, she redefined public art as a tool for liberation.