HONG KONG.- Le French May Arts Festival presents a world-class exhibition – Legend of the 20th century art: Niki de Saint Phalle.

Echoing “voyage”, the theme of 27th edition of the Festival to transport audience through time and space, from the East to the West, the highlight exhibition brings around a hundred monumental artworks of Niki de Saint Phalle to the plaza and exhibition gallery of Sha Tin Town Hall. An eyecatching promenade will lead audience to the indoor exhibition, as well as an artistic “voyage”. Public will have an immersive encounter with Niki’s sculptures and paintings from 5th May to 2nd June.

Niki de Saint Phalle (1930 – 2002) was a sculptor, painter, and filmmaker. The French-born, American-raised artist is one of the most significant female and feminist artists of the 20th century.

She had no formal training in art, but associated freely with many other contemporary artists, such as Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Larry Rivers, composer John Cage, and architect Mario Botta, and many more. She also worked with Swiss artist Jean Tinguely, her second husband. She continued to create prolifically until the end of her life.

Through Bloum Cardenas, her granddaughter, with the support of the Niki Charitable Foundation and the Galerie Mitterrand, an exhibition in artistic conversation with Chinese artist Shen Yuan was presented at the Power Station of Art Museum in Shanghai (August 18–October 14, 2018). Following this inaugural exhibition in China, the first major retrospective of her work was on show in Beijing at the Today Art Museum (November 23, 2008–March 10, 2019).

The acclaimed exhibition now travels to Hong Kong to Sha Tin Town Hall for Le French May 2019, which is the first solo exhibition of Niki de Saint Phalle in the city.

The critic Charlotte Jansen* wrote about Niki de Saint Phalle: “the French-born, American-raised artist is one of the most significant female and feminist artists of the 20th century, and one of the few to receive recognition in the male-dominated art world during her lifetime.” Niki’s artistic career is remarkable, her achievements, despite the painful circumstances of her childhood and against the odds of her times professionally, are inspiring.

As one of the most significant female figures of contemporary art in the 20th century, she was best known for her shooting paintings, Tirs, and the monumental sculptures, Nanas (meaning “chick” in French).

Niki’s life work was the Tarot Garden in Tuscany and works in the same marvellous and fantastic vein, as well as her most famous work “Nanas” in light-hearted, whimsical, colourful, large-scale sculptures of animals, monsters, and female figures are included in the exhibition.

Apart from sculpture, Niki used a variety of media like paintings and reliefs to express her creativity. She also designed wonderful lithographs, sometimes used for campaign for health or for Jazz festivals for instance. These works also give a glimpse into the vivid cultural life of France.

Le French May 2018 opening exhibition “School of Nice – From Pop Art to Happenings” exhibited Niki’s early artpiece Long shot – second shooting session, 1961 and Daddy: crucifix, 1972, the breadth of her work expands far beyond these examples. This year public has an opportunity to enjoy Niki’s art world closely.