Niki de Saint Phalle, Paradis Retrouvé
Opera Gallery Paris is delighted to present Niki de Saint Phalle, Paradis Retrouvé, displaying the dynamic and feminist works conveyed through her beautiful and fantastical world. About thirty exceptional works by the Franco-American artist are presented, highlighting her creativity through a variety of techniques and materials in a universe populated by imaginary animals and colourful Nanas. The exhibition draws parallels with the famous Tarot Garden, a group of sculptures made in Tuscany between 1979 and 1993, which recreates his dreamlike style on a human scale. Niki de Saint Phalle’s passion for esotericism and her practice of palmistry was also inspired by the divination of tarot cards. Within her oeuvre we see allusions to the Garden of Eden with the imposing sculpture of Adam and Eve and the recurring and iconic image of the snake, as well as that of the tree of life.
Throughout her career, Saint Phalle never ceased to weave fragments of her own life into her work. The cathartic benefits of the creative act thus offered her the opportunity to escape into a world that obeyed its own codes. Her rounded figures, often monumental, tame the demons that inhabit the artist. Paradis Retrouvé is in this sense a fantastic garden imagined by Saint Phalle, inhabited by gigantic sculptures and devouring monsters. This places the art of Saint Phalle “between two poles, Heaven and Hell”, as Pierre Restany, New Realism art critic, said regarding her oeuvre. Her work acted as a form of therapy, allowing her to externalize the pains and reveries she grew up with.
This exhibition brings together a set of works illustrating this imaginary paradise that she has built and invites the viewer to immerse themself in a dreamlike journey.
SELECTED WORKS
Niki De Saint Phalle, Le Miroir (Magie du miroir), 1980
Polyester, painted wood, mirrored glass
105,9 x 152 x 25,4 cm | 41.7 x 59.8 x 10 in
Niki De Saint Phalle, Fauteuil noir, 1980
Polyester paint
102 x 79 x 70 cm | 40.2 x 31.1 x 27.6 in
Niki De Saint Phalle, White Tree, 1972
Resin polyester joined on a wood panel
244,5 x 122 x 22 cm | 96.3 x 48 x 8.7 in
Niki De Saint Phalle, Ange vase, 1993
Painted polyester, iron base
99 x 57 x 32 cm | 39 x 22.4 x 12.6 in
Niki De Saint Phalle, The Blue Falcon, 1980
Painted polyester, metal, light bulbs and electric systems
66 x 37 x 21 cm | 26 x 14.6 x 8.3 in
Niki De Saint Phalle, Nana courant, 1966
Painted papier-mâché
71 x 72,5 x 39 cm | 28 x 28.5 x 15.4 in
Niki De Saint Phalle, L'oiseau amoureux, 1988
Watercolour, coloured chalk and acrylic on japan paper laid on silk
260 x 285 cm | 102.4 x 112.2 in