OPERA GALLERY
France
62 rue du faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris
Phone: +33 (0)1 42 96 39 00
paris@operagallery.com
www.operagallery.com
Founded in Singapore in 1994, Opera Gallery has forged, over its 30 years, a network of 14 locations worldwide including London, Paris, New York, Geneva, Singapore, and Madrid, establishing itself as one of the leading global players within the international art market.
Headed by Gilles Dyan, Opera Gallery specialises in Modern, Postwar, and Contemporary art. In addition, the gallery represents international emerging artists such as Andy Denzler, Anthony James and Gustavo Nazareno, and more established contemporary artists such as Ron Arad, Manolo Valdés, and Anselm Reyle.
For more than 30 years, Opera Gallery’s mission has been to showcase the dynamic, innovative, and diverse expressions of modern and contemporary art through its ambitious yearly exhibition programming as well as to bring together institutions that shape the cultural landscape, often supporting private collections and leading public institutions.
Niki de SAINT PHALLE
(1930-2002)
Nana Dawn (yellow)
Created in 1995
Painted resin and metal base
144 x 114 x 57.5 cm
Edition of 5 + 3 artist proofs
Signed and dated “Niki de Saint Phalle 95” on the right leg;
signed, foundry stamp and numbered “E.A III/III” on the left foot
Photo credit: © Diane Levy
Niki de Saint Phalle’s Nanas embody an army of conquering women.
For the artist, these figures represent the fulfilled and independent woman, one who has obtained her rights and earned her place in society, following the feminist struggles of the 1960s and 1970s. The Nanas are large, powerful, often monumental “because men are, because they need to be even more so to be their equals.” They are colorful, pop, adorned with decorative patterns, and always adopt joyful and dynamic postures. Through their rounded forms, the artist celebrates the power of women in their ability to give life.
The Nanas break away from the image of women in the 1960s, conveyed by art and culture in the West. They appear to us rather with the generous forms of callipygian Paleolithic Venus figures, such as the Venus of Willendorf, or Indian goddesses with opulent breasts. As feminist muses, they reclaim the power of those who have remained on the margins of society.
This artwork presented here shows a yellow Nana in a swimsuit decorated with hearts, flowers, and numerous motifs from Niki’s iconography (snake, sun, moon, mouth, eye…). She advances proudly, having tamed the snake and her fears, she is triumphant.
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