Born in Paris in 1911, Louise Bourgeois grew up against the backdrop of W.W. I. Home life was complicated by her father’s adulteries (he took the family au pair as his mistress), and when Bourgeois was 20, her beloved mother—the inspiration for her renowned spider sculptures—passed away. Bourgeois channeled her fears and anxieties into her art, frankly addressing the subjects of family dynamics, sexuality, and mortality. Over the last two decades of her life, she incorporated clothes and textiles into her work. “I have always had a fascination with the magic power of the needle,” she said. “The needle is used to repair the damage. It’s a claim to forgiveness.” In this exhibition, Bourgeois’s woven installations, sculptures, and collages provide insight into the artist’s final years. —E.C.

Louise Bourgeois: The Woven Child
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Hayward Gallery / London / Art
Hayward Gallery / London / Art
Louise Bourgeois, “Spider,” 1997 © the Easton Foundation/Licensed by DACS, U.K. Photo: Erika Ede, Bilbao.
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