Opera Gallery is pleased to present Inner child, a two-artist exhibition with paintings and sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002) and Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929). Featuring 41 artworks comprised of 7 paintings and 34 sculptures, the exhibition’s eclectic grouping of subject matter ranges from Saint Phalle’s playful, yet often subversive, depictions of animals and the female form, to Kusama’s recurring engagement with the dot motif in both abstract and figurative works. On the surface, both Kusama and Saint Phalle’s work is often typified by vibrant colours and imaginative figures that tend to strike a playful and jubilant tone.

Kusama and Saint Phalle’s candid reflections on the lasting impact of their challenging childhoods suggest that engaging with their archetypal inner child through their art has provided a transformative path toward emotional healing and resolution.

Central to the exhibition is Niki de Saint Phalle’s Last night I had a dream, a monumental 1968 wall installation collectively made up of 18 sculptures that evoke childlike imagination and surreal elements of subconscious exploration. Concurrently, several paintings from Yayoi Kusama’s long-running Infinity Nets series, inspired in part by hallucinatory visions she experienced as a child, highlight the artists’ shared exploration of how childhood experiences have shaped their significant aesthetic developments.

Born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Japan, Kusama has frequently spoken about her complex relationship with her mother growing up in a strict household. “From the time I was a child, I wanted to run away from my mother,” Kusama remarked, adding “I ran into my art.” As a child, Kusama experienced hallucinations of dots and flowers crowding her vision, which laid the groundwork for her ongoing use of the dot motif in her work. “I began painting polka dots and nets as a child and they continue to inspire me. The Infinity Nets represent my own obsessive- compulsive neurosis and my fear of hallucinations.” said Kusama, speaking to the transformative role that art played in channeling childhood memories and experiences into resonant artworks.

Born in 1930 in Neuilly-sur- Seine, France, Saint Phalle also frequently referenced in her oeuvre her difficult childhood marked by trauma and abuse. From her iconic Nana sculptures to the monumental Tarot Garden sculpture park in Pescia Fiorentina, Italy, Saint Phalle’s oeuvre radiates a free-spirited sense of vitality and playfulness, running counter to her own experiences in childhood. “I transformed my childhood pain into something magical. My monsters became my friends, my fears became my work”, she noted. By creating works that celebrate innocence and embrace the imaginary, she invites others to find solace and strength in their inner child.

For both artists, engagement with the proverbial inner child can interpreted as an act of liberation, reclamation and healing. Underpinning the sense of play and wonder seen in this diverse presentation of works is an understanding of childhood as a core tenet of both artist’s ongoing interrogations into self-actualisation. The title of the exhibition honours Swiss psychiatrist and psychologist Carl Jung, who introduced the ‘child archetype’ and celebrates his 150th anniversary this year. For Jung, the child archetype symbolizes renewal and potential. He believed that adults could revisit this aspect of themselves to reconnect with forgotten parts of their identity—an idea that both Kusama and Saint Phalle explored in their work.