Adolescents

Magdalena Abakanowicz is from Poland. She was raised there during the violent and oppressive period of World War II. Many of her works deal with issues surrounding repression and individuality. This sculpture is a bronze casting of a headless figure. Abakanowicz makes many works like this one, which are displayed alone or in large groups. These works are often missing parts of their bodies. Sometimes the figures are headless, and sometimes they may be missing their hands or feet. Abakanowicz uses the removal of body parts to symbolize what the figures may be thinking or feeling. When the artist removes certain body parts she limits the figure’s ability to do certain things, like think, speak, walk or feel.