Niki de Saint Phalle

NIKI DE SAINT PHALLE (Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1930 - San Diego, 2002)
L'oiseau amoureux, 2000
Sculpture-vase in painted polyester resin.
Stamped and numbered on a metal plate on the back.
With Haligon publisher's stamp on the back.
Edition of 150 copies.
Provenance: Guy Pieters Gallery, Belgium. Private collection.
The work is registered in the artist's archives under the reference 09-1991A-127.
A certificate of authenticity from the Niki de Saint Phalle Foundation, dated November 8, 2022, will be given to the buyer.
Measurements: 60 × 50 × 22 cm.

"L'Oiseau Amoureux" is an emblematic sculpture by Niki de Saint Phalle, in which an anthropomorphic bird merges with a female figure hugging her breast. This woman refers directly to the Nanas, one of the artist's most iconic and vindicative motifs, symbol of a free and celebratory femininity. The work embodies a hybrid imaginary where woman, nature and myth intertwine in an image of affection and vitality.

Made of polyester resin painted with a palette of intense colors, the piece is fully inscribed in Saint Phalle's plastic universe. The smooth surfaces, rounded forms and chromatic exuberance reinforce an optimistic and direct sculptural language. The embrace and the profusion of symbols evoke love as a transforming force and joy as a vital affirmation.

Since the 1960s, Saint Phalle developed an oeuvre deeply linked to female empowerment, challenging traditional canons of beauty and representation of women. In L'Oiseau Amoureux, flight symbolizes freedom, while the union of the two bodies suggests an autonomous and sensual female identity.

There are several versions of "L'Oiseau Amoureux" in museums, public gardens and private collections around the world. Some of the most outstanding examples are preserved in places such as Ekebergparken (Oslo) and the Tinguely Museum in Basel, an institution dedicated to the work of Jean Tinguely -the artist's husband and collaborator-, which also houses important sculptures by Saint Phalle, including monumental figures of birds and Nanas.

A key figure in 20th century art, Niki de Saint Phalle achieved international recognition with her Shooting Paintings, her monumental Nanas and major public projects such as the Tarot Garden (Capalbio) or the Stravinsky Fountain (Paris, with Jean Tinguely).