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

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.

Look at it this way - a totem pole is just a decorated tree. My work is a confessional.

Artists have to be useful. They have to fill a role.

Artists are born not made. There's nothing you can do for them.

A work of art doesn't have to be explained.

An artist can show things that other people are terrified of expressing.