Our new series ‘Icons’ presents extraordinary masterpieces from celebrated 20th-Century artists and groundbreaking creations direct from the studios of leading contemporary artists.

Louise Bourgeois’s commanding spider sculptures are among the most iconic works of the past century. First depicted in a 1947 ink and charcoal drawing, this motif evolved into a prevailing theme in her sculpture by the mid-1990s, with ‘Spider I’ (1995) standing as a quintessential early example.

From the outset of her career, Bourgeois investigated the tension between architectural and organic forms, a recurrent theme that is especially pronounced in her compelling series of six renowned wall spiders.

‘Spider I’ is one example of these wall-mounted sculptures. Editions of this piece have been exhibited widely and are also in museum collections worldwide, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, and ARTIST ROOMS, managed by Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland, UK.

The spider is an ode to Bourgeois’s mother, a tapestry weaver who passed away when the artist was just 20. The spider’s duality—its role as both predator and protector and its capacity to destroy and create—reflects the complexities of motherhood as Bourgeois experienced them. 

Dynamically poised, ‘Spider I’ radiates both vulnerability and strength. Its watchful stance is that of a creature perpetually on edge, ready to either confront or retreat, and its tensed, curled leg reflects a visual tension, reflecting the inner emotional turmoil Bourgeois confronted. 

‘Louise Bourgeois: I have been to hell and back. And let me tell you, it was wonderful,’ the artist’s largest solo exhibition in Japan to date, opens on 25 September 2024 at Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, Japan.