Niki de Saint Phalle's Nana Statues: From 1966 Hon-en-Katedrall to Global Landmarks

Key facts

• In 1966, the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden, hosted the creation of Hon-en-Katedrall, a giant Nana sculpture.
• The project was a collaboration between Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguely, and Per Olof Ultvedt, initiated by museum director Pontus Hulten.
• Hon took 40 days to build and was designed to be entered through a birth canal.
• Niki de Saint Phalle described Hon as 'a doll's house for adults just big enough to sit and dream in.'
• Saint Phalle met Jean Tinguely in 1956, and their collaboration influenced her shift from abstract shooting paintings to Nana sculptures.
• The Nana statues were originally inspired by a pregnant friend and initially made of fabric and found objects.
• Later Nanas incorporated polyester, ceramic, and other materials to create more curvaceous forms.
• Nana statues are installed globally, including Three Graces (1999) at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, Guardian Angel (1998) at Zurich Station, and Sophie in Hanover, Germany.