Louise
Bourgeois

In 1938, Bourgeois married American art historian Robert Goldwater and moved to New York City. Throughout the 1940s, she began experimenting with diverse materials such as wood, plaster, bronze, and marble. Her first solo exhibition took place at the Peridot Gallery in 1949. Bourgeois became associated with the emerging American Abstract Expressionist movement during the 1950s and 1960s, although her work defied easy categorisation.

In the 1970s, Bourgeois' art took on a distinctly feminist perspective, though she denied this label, addressing themes of female identity, sexuality, and oppression. She played a role in the development of the feminist art movement and participated in the influential 1972 exhibition "Women Artists: 1550-1950" at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Her work during this period incorporated unconventional materials like latex, rubber, and cloth, reflecting her lifelong interest in textiles and sewing.

Bourgeois experienced a breakthrough in the late 1970s and 1980s, gaining critical and commercial success. In 1982, a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York cemented her status as a canonical artist. This retrospective gave her renewed confidence, leading to her unveiling of her now famous Cells series in 1986, featuring enclosed, room-like installations exploring themes of isolation, memory, and the body.

Bourgeois also became widely recognised for her monumental spider sculptures, which she started creating in the mid-1990s. These works, exemplified by the iconic Maman (1999), embody both fragility and menace, representing the protective and nurturing aspects of motherhood alongside darker, more destructive elements of the maternal figure.

Among Bourgeois' most remarkable works stands the captivating sculpture known as Welcoming Hands. Dating to 1996, Welcoming Hands exemplifies Bourgeois' work's emotional intelligence. It portrays two hands interlaced in a timeless gesture of embrace, inviting viewers into a realm of warmth and acceptance. The sculpture's larger-than-life scale is captivating and conveys the grand significance of touch, connection, and empathy.

Throughout her career, Bourgeois received numerous awards and honors, including the National Medal of Arts in 1997 and the French Legion of Honour in 2008. She continued creating art until her death in 2010 at the age of 98. Today, Bourgeois' work is held in major public collections worldwide, and her influence as a pioneering figure in contemporary art continues to inspire subsequent generations of artists.