About Louise Bourgeois

Louise Bourgeois (b. 1911, Paris; d. 2010, New York) is among the most influential artists of the late 20th century. Bourgeois initially studied mathematics at the Sorbonne, before studying art at institutions including the École des Beaux-Arts, and the École du Louvre. In 1938, she moved to New York where she would live and work until her death.

Bourgeois’ distinguished career included major exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (1982); the Frankfurter Kunstverein (1989); the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg (2001); and a career retrospective organized by the Tate Modern, London and the Centre Pompidou, Paris (2007-8).

Bourgeois was named Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French minister of culture in 1983. In 1991, she received the French Grand Prix National de Sculpture, as well as the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Sculpture Center in Washington D.C. Other accolades include the U.S. National Medal of the Arts (1997), and the French Legion of Honor Medal (2008).