Magdalena Abakanowicz (1930–2017), Head, 1985

Magdalena Abakanowicz (Falenty 1930 – Warsaw 2017)
Untitled (from the “Katarsis/Katharsis” portfolio), 1985
Ceramolle (soft-ground etching), paper
Dimensions of the print (plate): 64.5 × 49 cm
Sheet dimensions: 76 × 56.5 cm
Edition: 42/80
Signature and date: in pencil, lower right, “M. Abakanowicz 85”; numbered in pencil, lower left, “42/80”
Publisher: Edizioni della Bezuga, Firenze (Florence) – publisher’s dry stamp at the bottom of the sheet
Provenance: from the “Katarsis/Katharsis” portfolio (Fattoria di Celle / Edizioni della Bezuga, Firenze)
Unmounted work; the photo shows an example of mounting.

Magdalena Abakanowicz (1930–2017)—one of the most important Polish artists of the 20th century, a sculptor and textile artist associated with the contemporary art movement. She gained international fame for her monumental fiber forms, the so-called “Abakans, ” and later for her series of figures and crowds of people with anonymous, headless silhouettes, exploring the human condition, the collective, and the fragility of the body. She studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, taught at the State Higher School of Fine Arts in Poznań, exhibited worldwide, and created numerous installations in public spaces. Her works are included in the collections of major museums and contemporary art institutions.