Magdalena Abakanowicz
Polish sculptor and fiber artist Magdalena Abakanowicz has defiance running through her veins. Born in 1930, she grew up during World War II, when her family were part of the Polish resistance; years later, while her country was under Soviet rule, her unusual three-dimensional fiber installations, called Abakans, made her a household name, offering a quiet opposition to utilitarianism and the pervasive Socialist Realism. Since then, she's gone from strength to strength, working on figurative sculptures and huge public works, including Agora in Chicago and Birds of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and receiving countless global awards.
