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The Arts Intel Report

Louise Bourgeois — I Have Been to Hell and Back: And Let Me Tell You, It Was Wonderful

Louise Bourgeois, The Couple, 2003.

Until Jan 19, 2025
Japan, 〒106-6150 Tokyo, Minato City, Roppongi, 6 Chome−10−1, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 53階

Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010) is best known for her giant sculptures of looming bronze spiders. They represent her mother—all mothers who weave their loved ones into a web of protection. But she went way beyond the arachnid, producing watercolors, textiles, paintings, and other sculptures tirelessly over seven decades. “I am not what I am,” Bourgeois once said, “I am what I do with my hands.” Bourgeois has not been exhibited in Japan for 27 years. This show covers her entire career, highlighting her versatility. —Elena Clavarino

Photo: Christopher Burke © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by JASPAR, Tokyo, and VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York