Niki de Saint Phalle

Niki de Saint Phalle was born in Paris in 1930, but soon moved to the United States. As a rebellious youth, she attended many schools before graduating from the Old Field School in Maryland. Around the middle of the century Niki has a short career as a model for Vogue, Life, and Harper’s Bazaar. She moves back to Paris, where she creates her first works of art. In 1960, she has her first solo showing of plaster reliefs. Her career quickly accelerates, and by 1966 her art had been featured at exhibitions internationally. During this time, her first Nana sculptures were shown New York, Brussels, Geneva, and Paris.
In addition to fine art, Niki created costume designs, stage plays, expo pavilions, films, perfume bottles, vases, and a range of installations for children. Much of her work supported religious freedom and understanding, AIDS education, and homage to other artists. In 1983, she collaborated with Jean Tinguely to create the famous “Stravinsky Fountain” outside of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. She dedicated twenty years to a sculpture and mosaic garden in Tuscany that focused on symbols of Tarot. Her work is in the permanent collection of a long list of modern art museums world wide.