She blew up the art world.
One of the most innovative artists of the second half of the twentieth century, Niki de Saint Phalle (French-American, 1930–2002) burst upon the international art world in the 1960s. Although a self-taught artist, she was quickly recognized as an important participant in cutting-edge contemporary art both in Europe and America. Niki de Saint Phalle used art as a rebellion against a patriarchal society and childhood trauma. She created a signature language of iconic forms such as her “Nanas”—unapologetic images of empowered womanhood—that testified to her belief that art could change the world. With her performances, bold sculptures, and immersive public art and playgrounds, she engaged with important deeper social issues.
This is the first U.S. museum exhibition of Saint Phalle’s entire career, drawn from the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMAC) in Nice, France, which holds the largest collection of her work in France, and enriched by loans from the Niki Charitable Art Foundation in Santee, California. The works on view explore Saint Phalle’s universe, from her early, explosive “Shooting” paintings, to her powerful Nanas, fantastical sculptures of her Tarot Garden, and her pioneering efforts to combat racism, gender inequality, and HIV/AIDS stigma.
Only at the Nelson-Atkins in 2024.
To learn more about Niki de Saint Phalle, browse the Spencer Art Reference Library’s Research Guide.
Organized by the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Nice, France, in collaboration with Manifesto Expo. In Kansas City, generous support provided by Paul DeBruce and Linda Woodsmall-DeBruce; Sara and Bill Morgan; the G. Kenneth and Ann Baum Philanthropic Fund; Shirley Bush Helzberg; Neil Karbank and Gretchen Calhoun; Don Hall Jr.; Stephen and Mary Anne McDowell; Nancy and Rick Green; and J. Scott Francis and Susan Gordon, Francis Family Foundation.
Header: Artist Niki de Saint Phalle with her inflatable Nanas sur la plage sculptures. Featured in Vogue, April 15, 1968. Photograph by Bert Stern © 2023 Condé Nast.
Niki de Saint Phalle (French-American, 1930 –2002). Dawn (Yellow), 1995. Painted polyester, 56 11/16 × 46 1/16 × 27 15/16 inches. Private Collection, courtesy Niki Charitable Art Foundation, Santee, California. © 2024 NIKI CHARITABLE ART FOUNDATION. All rights reserved.
Niki de Saint Phalle (French-American, 1930 –2002). Le Diable [The Devil], 1985. Painted polyester, 22 13/16 × 19 11/16 × 9 1/16 inches. MAMAC, Nice, France; Gift of the artist, 2001. © 2024 NIKI CHARITABLE ART FOUNDATION. All rights reserved.
Niki de Saint Phalle (French-American, 1930–2002). Tarot Garden, 1991. Lithograph, 24 × 31 1/2 inches. MAMAC, Nice, France; Gift of the artist, 2001. © 2024 NIKI CHARITABLE ART FOUNDATION. All rights reserved.
Niki de Saint Phalle (French-American, 1930–2002). La force [Strength], 1987. Painted polyester, 14 3/16 × 13 × 20 11/16 inches. MAMAC, Nice, France; Gift of the artist, 2001. © 2024 NIKI CHARITABLE ART FOUNDATION. All rights reserved.
Niki de Saint Phalle (French-American, 1930–2002). Ange luminaire [Angel Lamp], 1995. Painted polyester resin, metal base, light fixture, 38 9/16 × 21 5/8 × 14 9/16 inches. Courtesy of Salon 94, New York. © 2024 NIKI CHARITABLE ART FOUNDATION. All rights reserved.
Niki de Saint Phalle (French-American, 1930– 2002). La Peste [The Plague], 1986. Painted polyester with plastic figurines, 44 1/2 × 72 13/16 × 11 13/16 inches. Private Collection, courtesy Niki Charitable Art Foundation, Santee, California. © 2024 NIKI CHARITABLE ART FOUNDATION. All rights reserved.
Niki de Saint Phalle (French-American, 1930 –2002). L’arbre de vie [The Tree of Life], 1990. Painted polyester and gold leaf, 15 3/4 × 17 11/16 × 12 3/16 inches. Private Collection, courtesy Niki Charitable Art Foundation, Santee, California. © 2024 NIKI CHARITABLE ART FOUNDATION. All rights reserved.
Programs
Tivoli Presents: Niki de Saint Phalle, Who is the Monster… You or Me?
In the sixties, artist Niki de Saint Phalle’s career started with a bang – her bullet-riddled “Shooting Paintings” captivated the art world. Her “Nana” sculptures went on to be iconic symbols of female empowerment. Niki de Saint Phalle, Who is the Monster … You or Me? paints a suitably idiosyncratic portrait of the artist, a personality as ripe for camera scrutiny as her colorful, often outrageous artwork.
$13 Public | $10 Members | Atkins Auditorium