Repurposed Identity: The Continually Changing Self-Perception of Magdalena Abakanowicz

Indianapolis, IN

The childhood and early adulthood of Abakanowicz was marred by fear due to the prominent identity of her father in a country embroiled in war and political unrest. At the same time, the Communist control of Poland fostered an environment that deemphasized the individual for the sake of the state. These two forces of anonymity both paralleled and clashed with each other throughout the life of Abakanowicz, especially given the rise of her personal success and involvement in the Fiber Arts movement. Throughout her work, she explored themes of identity and anonymity that were directly influenced by the conflicts and government that shaped some of the most impressionable years of her life. As evinced by her incomplete figures, repurposing of materials, and relative anonymity of her "Crowds," Abakanowicz explored her identity and her relationship with others through her art.