Dec 23, 2009

The Oxford Dictionary of Art | Abakanowicz, Magdalena

Abakanowicz, Magdalena (b Felenty, nr. Warsaw, 20 June 1930).
Polish abstract sculptor, the pioneer and leading exponent of sculpture made from woven fabrics. Initially she worked in conventional media in painting and sculpture, but from 1960 she concentrated on textiles, using hessian and rope (in some works she has also incorporated wood). Sometimes she obtained her raw materials by visiting Poland's Baltic ports and collecting old ropes, which she then unravelled and dyed. At first she made reliefs, but she soon moved on to large three-dimensional works. In 1962 she first exhibited in the West (at the International Tapestry Biennial in Lausanne) and thereafter her work appeared often outside Poland in both solo and group shows, winning her an international reputation and numerous awards.