Born in France and raised in the United States, Niki de Saint Phalle began her artistic career in the 1950s, eventually becoming a central figure in the European Nouveau Réalisme movement. She gained early notoriety for her Tirs (shooting paintings), in which she fired a rifle at plaster assemblages embedded with paint-filled containers, allowing the pigment to create the final composition.

Her practice is best known for the Nanas, a series of exuberant, large-scale, colorful female figures that celebrate femininity and joy. These works often utilized polyester and fiberglass, allowing her to create massive, immersive environments. Her collaborative spirit was a hallmark of her career, frequently working alongside her partner Jean Tinguely on complex, kinetic sculptural projects.

Saint Phalle's influence persists in contemporary art education and institutional discourse. Recent initiatives, such as those at Hauser & Wirth, continue to utilize her creative philosophies to inspire interactive community projects, while major institutions like the Centre Pompidou continue to analyze her work as a radical contribution to the history of modern art.