Kiki Smith

Kiki Smith was born in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1954 and currently lives and works in New York. The daughter of sculptor Tony Smith, she focuses on the representation of the human body, interpreting it in various ways over time and thus continually modifying and renewing her artistic production. “I spend at least 50 percent of my time immersed in domestic life; I work at home all day. I don’t cook much, but I’m interested in ‘domesticity,’ which has to do with an incredibly fascinating social history. Rather than looking—like feminism has done—at the politics that come from the kitchen, I wanted to do the exact opposite and bring politics into it.”

Between 1980 and 1990, she examined the human condition through the metaphor of the body, creating numerous works that represent it. However, her work underwent a significant change in the mid-1990s. While still focusing on the human body as the main subject of her production, her attention shifted from a detailed analysis of specific body parts to a broader exploration of well-known icons, such as Eve, the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Lilith (the first wife of Abraham, according to ancient Jewish tradition). During the 1990s, the artist also introduced new elements related to the natural world and the cosmos in her compositions. She created ambiguous installations where the human figure is intrinsically connected with birds, other animals, and landscapes.

The artist, “attracted by variety and curious to experiment as much as possible, makes drawings, prints, sculptures, videos, photographs, and tapestries,” continues to renew her production even in this last decade, a period during which she not only examines the relationship between female figures and animals but also introduces new elements referring to fairy tale characters, Victorian literature, and narratives from religious tradition. However, all these characters and stories are modified and reinterpreted by the artist to express her viewpoint as a committed feminist and her personal vision of the world.

The subjects of her sculptures evolve over time, as do their dimensions. The artist has significantly reduced the sizes of her sculptures with a specific goal in mind: to not simply fascinate the viewer but to engage them and prompt reflection on the condition of humanity. Analyzing Kiki Smith’s production and how it has evolved over time makes it easy to identify and understand the approach she employs in creating her works. While representing some of the most famous female icons from religious, mythological, and literary traditions, the artist seeks to “naturalize” these subjects, rendering them earthly and human with their certainties and vulnerabilities.

The Iannaccone collection features numerous works, from a piece of Nepalese paper acquired in India to several white figurines and bronze sculptures with animals, including the large sculpture The Guardians.