A trailblazing French American self-taught artist, sculptor, writer and filmmaker, Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002) had a barrier-breaking and overtly feminist approach to her work. Her style is characterised by bold colours, strong lines, and simple shapes, drawing inspiration from artists such as Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso and architect Antoni Gaudi.
De Saint Phalle’s first career was as a fashion model from the age of 18 before turning her attention to the creative arts when she was 23. She held her first solo exhibition at the Alexandre Iolas Gallery, an influential New York gallery in 1962.
In 1965, de Saint Phalle began making one of her most well-known series of artworks, large sculptures called Nanas, with the aesthetic goal of showing women as happy and joyful. The curvy, colourful sculptures often look like they are dancing or celebrating, portraying them as powerful and larger than life. Nanas were particularly inclusive in the way that they incorporated all sorts of colours and patterns, exaggerating certain parts of the body to symbolise how all women are beautiful, regardless of their shape or colour.
De Saint Phalle’s favourite colour, cobalt blue, “the colour of joy and luck,” is often featured in her art and even inspired a Swiss luxury skincare brand to use it for its packaging in 1982. La Prairie’s team would often gather in the design studio where she was curating her fragrance. After her signature blue captured their attention, it was selected as a way to pay homage to the shared values both the brand and de Saint Phalle embodied. Pushing boundaries was something they both strived for, whether that was through the traditional representations of femininity and beauty or merging science with luxury to refine the art of anti-aging.
La Prairie’s pioneering work in natural rejuvenation skincare paralleled the artist’s trailblazing work in art as a form of political commentary. After all, the words timeless, innovative, femininity, strength, and serenity are all synonymous with both of them, making de Saint Phalle’s cobalt blue so fitting for La Prairie’s iconic Skin Caviar Collection.
Decades later, the skincare brand continues to celebrate its connection with the artist, supporting various exhibitions, including at MoMA PS1 in New York (2021), and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (2022).
With a legacy extending far beyond her colourful sculptures and artistic works, Niki de Saint Phalle’s approach to art as a medium for self-expression, empowerment and social commentary still resonates today. A retrospective of de Saint Phalle’s work at Mudec (Museo delle Culture di Milano) finished in February 2025, however she remains immortalised in La Prairie’s use of cobalt blue.
