23 September 1899, Pereiaslav-Khmelyntski, Ukraine - 

17 April 1988, New York, NY, USA

Louise Nevelson, one of the most influential female sculptors of the 20th century, only fully devoted herself to sculpture later in middle age, having previously experimented with painting, dancing and signing, and then the techniques of bronze work and terracotta. Her abstract sculptures were bold, non-figural wooden assemblages made from scavenged scraps of wood, or cut pieces with unconventional tools like scissors, which she wold build up into monumental structures. These she would paint in a monochrome colour, mostly in black, although later she did use white and gold, to create her own brand of minimalism.