“My name is Louise Josephine Bourgeois. I was born on December 25, 1911, in Paris. All my work in the past fifty years, all my subjects, have found their inspiration in my childhood. My childhood has never lost its magic, it has never lost its mystery, and it has never lost its drama.”

Louise Bourgeois. Destruction of the father. Writings and Interviews, 1923-1997. Marie-Laure Bernadac and Hans-Ulrich Obrist. London, Violette Editions, 1998

“Art comes from a need to express – an idea or a concept – cutting, mutilation, self-mutilation. Pruning, control. How to prove to yourself. How to achieve saint-hood, health, star status, self-knowledge, The curative aspect of Art, usefulness . How to prove to yourself that you are lovable. Make people love you through your art.”

Louise Bourgeois. Diary note, 20 August 1993

Louise Bourgeois, in 1975, wearing her latex sculpture Avenza (1968–1969) which became part of Confrontation (1978)
Photo: Mark Setteducati. © The Easton Foundation / VEGAP, Madrid