(b Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, 1930; d La Jolla, CA, 2002) French-American Painter and Sculptor. Though born in France, Niki de Saint Phalle grew up in the northeastern United States. She pursued an interest in the theater and spent some time working as a fashion model. She moved back to France in 1952 and began associating with members of the Nouveau Realist movement. In 1961 Niki debuted the first of her “shooting paintings” where capsules of paint were embedded in a plaster canvas and then splattered as she shot at them with a pistol. Niki’s most iconic works are her “Nana” sculptures: oversized female plaster figures, painted in bright colors, which both celebrate and challenge society’s notions about feminity and the female form. Over her career de Saint Phalle has also worked in many different aspects of the arts, including architecture, set design, authoring screen plays, even illustrating and co-writing a children’s book entitled AIDS: You Can’t Catch It Holding Hands.
