Everything I do is inspired by my early life”, Bourgeois’ looked up to her mother who was the most important person in her life for many reasons, ‘Maman’ symbolizes her mother; “The friend, because my best friend was my mother and she was deliberate, clever, patient, soothing, reasonable, dainty, subtle, indispensable, neat, and as useful as a spider.

I have been to hell and back, and let me tell you, it was wonderful.

I found in rules of mathematics a peace and a trust that I could not place in human beings. This sublimation was total and remained total.

I dont watch TV. I dont use a computer, a fax or a cellphone.

In my sculpture, it's not an image I am seeking, it's not an idea. My goal is to re-live a past emotion. My art is an exorcism, and beauty is something I never talk about.

I always had the fear of being separated and abandoned. The sewing is my attempt to keep things together and make things whole.

Clothing is . . . an exercise in memory. It makes me explore the past: how did I feel when I wore that. They are like signposts in the search for the past.