Niki de Saint Phalle is one of the most critical sculptresses of the second half of the 20th century. The artist's impressive oeuvre is best known for the Nana figures in bright pop colors. However, her work also reflects the traumatic childhood and adolescence experiences, which she addressed extensively in her 1994 autobiography, “Mon Secret.” Starting with the Shooting Paintings, Niki de Saint Phalle processed her emotional conflicts through her art. Her provocative installations and sculptures made her one of the most important and outspoken feminists in the art world. De Saint Phalle's sculptures leave ample room for multiple interpretations. The “Pouf serpent jaune” plays with the various meanings of the snake, with its soft, caressing movements and its role as a healer and mediator. Niki de Saint Phalle presents us with the snake, which in Christian symbolism is always associated with the expulsion from paradise, as a brightly colored, cheerfully patterned creature that far outstrips all negative connotations.
The artist's diverse oeuvre has recently been honored with a comprehensive retrospective at the Kunsthaus Zürich and the Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt am Main.