Magdalena Abakanowicz

A stunning exploration of an extraordinary and unique body of work



Magdalena Abakanowicz (1930-2017) was a Polish sculptor and fiber artist, most notable for her use of textiles as a sculptural medium. In the 1960s and '70s she wove sisal in intense colors to create towering, hanging pieces that radically expanded the field of sculpture and installation art and catapulted the international fiber art movement. Known as Abakans, these "organic environments" carried many meanings and were often large in size, containing entanglements of ropes or dividing spaces. They were spaces to contemplate, to immerse oneself, to experience.

Lavishly illustrated, this beautiful book explores the unique nature of these works and their impact as environmental sculpture. Considering the relationships between the Abakans and their forest-like atmosphere, and other key works, it reveals the artist's broad interest in natural phenomena and folk-art traditions from different cultural backgrounds, and the mastery and determination of a woman artist who, despite the restrictions of living in Poland under an oppressive communist regime, established a career as an international artist.