Niki de Saint Phalle, one of the most famous artists of the 20th century, was a French-American born in 1930. She was brought up in a very conservative family, and yet, she rejected the staid, conservative values of her family to pursue a career in painting. Fortunately, painting offered her an effective therapy and a way to develop as an artist. Her famous “Nana” series gained universal praise. It is a testimony to the glory of women. Some of these sculptures are very big, “so that men would look small next to them.” Saint Phalle used vivid colors in these works and her female subjects dance cheerfully and merrily.
Saint Phalle’s sculptural park, “The Tarot Garden,” inspired by Tarot cards, is situated in the Italian province of Tuscany. The park contains sculptures of the symbols found on Tarot cards. The brightly colored combinations of buildings and sculptures reflect the metaphysical qualities represented by the 22 main tarot cards. The sculptures, however, have nothing to do with fortune telling.
Saint Phalle passed away on May 21, 2002, in San Diego, California, at the age of 71. Her death meant the loss of a woman of diverse creative talents.