Louise Bourgeois

Louise Bourgeois’ work is intimate, raw and honest. Her oeuvre revolves around the meditation of her personal memories and emotions, unpicking childhood trauma to function as a psychological release and catharsis. Much of her work explores her complex familial relationships: her fear of abandonment initiated by her father, and her guilt surrounding her ailing mother who died when the artist was only 22. Widely known for her iconic large-scale sculptures, Bourgeois’ practice spans a wide variety of mediums, including textiles, drawing, installation, and printmaking.

As the first woman to have a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York in 1982, Bourgeois broke many barriers and paved the way for future generations of female artists. Other major retrospectives have since been held for her at venues such as the Tate Modern, London (2007), the Centre Pompidou, Paris (2008) and the Guggenheim Museum, New York and Bilbao (2007-2008). Recently, her work was shown the Hayward Gallery, London (2022) at the Belvedere Museum, Vienna (2023) and the Courtauld Gallery, London (2024-2025).