Niki de Saint Phalle (born 1930 as Catherine Marie-Agnès de Saint Phalle in Neuilly-sur-Seine, died in 2002 in San Diego, California), an artist of life, known in Germany for her colorful “Nanas”, also produced images with an equally direct feel emotional accuracy. Niki de Saint Phalle always dealt with the role of women in society and the question of self-determined femininity. She was a cosmopolitan citizen of the world and lived and suffered for her art.

After a nervous breakdown at the age of 23, when she was too burdened by her role as a young mother and wife, Niki de Saint Phalle discovered the healing and liberating effects of art. This is particularly evident in the naive and self-taught expression of her works, which she retained on the advice of the American painter Hugh Weiss. So it is not surprising that the naive painter Henri Rousseau is considered one of her most important sources of inspiration. But works by artists such as Klee, Matisse, Picasso and her artistic life partner Jean Tinguely also had a great influence on her work. During her travels, Niki was impressed, among other things, by Gaudi's architectural works, especially his Güell Park in Barcelona.

With her “shooting pictures” Saint Phalle became the shooting star of the Paris art scene in 1961 and soon celebrated international success. The pictures consist of assemblages filled with paint bags, the contents of which pour onto the picture after being fired by Niki and other colleagues. This resulted in random works full of emotion, about which Niki later said: “I was an angry young woman, but there are many angry young men and women who still don't become artists. I became an artist because there was no alternative for me - as a result, I didn't have to make a decision. It was my fate. Any other time I would have been locked up in a mental asylum forever.”

Towards the end of the 1960s, Niki discovered the previously little-known polyester as a material for her sculptures - a discovery that would worsen her existing lung disease in the years to come and ultimately lead to her death.

Her Nanas, resplendent in bold colors and full of femininity, initially caused heated discussions due to their possible offensiveness. However, today hardly anyone can escape their charm and as ideal works of art they adorn city parks, fountains and various architecture all over the world.